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Burkina Faso’s state media says hundreds of rebels have been killed trying to seize vulnerable town

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:16:01 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Hundreds of rebels were killed as they tried to seize a town in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday, the state broadcaster reported, in one of the largest clashes in recent years in the West African nation under threat from fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State.More than 3,000 fighters tried to take control of Djibo town near Mali’s border, the broadcaster said Tuesday. It was not immediately clear how many civilians or security forces were killed. The area has frequent internet cuts, and the military government is known to crack down on civil society.French medical group Doctors Without Borders said it treated locals injured in the attack.Approximately half of Burkina Faso is outside government control. The landlocked country has been ravaged by jihadi attacks. Fighters have killed thousands and displaced more than 2 million people, further threatening the stability of the country that had two coups last year.Located 210 kilometres (130 miles) from the...

Ottawa was always flexible on clean-energy rules, despite Alberta concerns: Wilkinson

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:16:01 GMT

Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government is open to extending the deadline for existing natural gas plants to operate without emissions-trapping technology.He says that negotiation was underway before Alberta Premier Danielle Smith moved yesterday to invoke her new Sovereignty Act, which she says allows the province to opt out of the proposed clean-electricity regulations.Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the act is a symbolic political gesture with no basis in law or Canada’s Constitution.And Wilkinson says he is baffled by the whole thing, because Ottawa has made clear that it understands province’s concerns about how some newer gas plants might end up as stranded assets if the regulations aren’t adjusted.The draft regulations were tabled in the summer and require any power plant that creates greenhouse-gas emissions to either close or install emissions abatement by 2035.But gas plants that are built and begin operating before 2025...

Energy stocks help lift S&P/TSX composite in late-morning trading

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:16:01 GMT

TORONTO — Strength in the energy stocks helped lift Canada’s main stock index higher in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets also rose.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 28.19 points at 20,060.85.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 127.65 points at 35,461.12. The S&P 500 index was up 8.43 points at 4,558.86, while the Nasdaq composite was up 24.51 points at 14,265.53.The Canadian dollar traded for 73.69 cents US compared with 73.34 cents US on Monday.The January crude oil contract was up US$1.96 at US$76.82 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.93 per mmBTU.The February gold contract was up US$20.60 at US$2,053.60 an ounce and the March copper contract was up five cents at US$3.85 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) The Canadian Press

Elderly man in critical condition after being struck by vehicle in North York

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:16:01 GMT

An elderly man is fighting for his life in hospital after being struck by a vehicle in North York on Tuesday morning.Emergency crews responded to the intersection of Keele Street and Lawrence Avenue around 10:50 a.m. for reports of a crash involving a pedestrian.Paramedics confirm a man in his 80s was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.Police say the driver involved remained scene.Motorists are being warned of delays in the area and are being asked to consider alternate routes.This is a developing story. More to come.

Ransomware attack prompts multistate hospital chain to divert some emergency room patients elsewhere

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:16:01 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A ransomware attack has prompted a health care chain that operates 30 hospitals in six states to divert patients from at least some of its emergency rooms to other hospitals, while putting certain elective procedures on pause, the company announced.In a statement Monday, Ardent Health Services said the attack occurred Nov. 23 and the company took its network offline, suspending user access to its information technology applications, including the software used to document patient care.The Nashville, Tennessee-based company said it cannot yet confirm the extent of any patient health or financial information that has been compromised. Ardent says it reported the issue to law enforcement and retained third-party forensic and threat intelligence advisors, while working with cybersecurity specialists to restore IT functions as quickly as possible. There’s no timeline yet on when the problems will be resolved.Ardent owns and operates 30 hospitals and more tha...

Online streamers should direct 2% of Canadian revenues to local content: Rogers

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:16:01 GMT

GATINEAU, Que. — Rogers Communications Inc. says online streaming giants should be forced to contribute two per cent of their annual Canadian revenues to support Canadian and Indigenous content.The Toronto-based media and telecommunications company told a CRTC panel Tuesday that some of those funds collected from streamers like Netflix and YouTube should be directed to a temporary news fund to help subsidize private TV and radio news stations.Rogers senior vice-president of regulatory affairs Dean Shaikh says the company is losing subscribers to online streamers and wants more flexibility to compete with them.The company’s presentation came amid the second week of the federal regulator’s public consultations in response to Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, which received royal assent in April.The commission is exploring whether streaming services should be asked to make an initial contribution to the Canadian content system and if this would help level the playing fie...

Human remains discovered in wooded area in Bowmanville, investigation underway

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:16:01 GMT

Human remains have been discovered in a wooded area in Bowmanville, Durham Regional Police confirmed on Tuesday morning.The remains were found near Simpson Avenue and Baseline Road.There’s currently a heavy police presence in the area.No further details are currently available.More to come

Belarus raids apartments of opposition activists as part of sweeping probe called latest crackdown

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:16:01 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus’ criminal investigation agency said Tuesday that it has conducted raids as part of a sweeping probe into an alleged attempt by the opposition to seize power three years ago. Critics called it the latest move in authorities’ crackdown on dissent.Belarus was rocked by mass protests during President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed election victory in 2020, which the opposition and the West condemned as fraudulent. Lukashenko’s government responded with a crackdown. Police detained around 35,000 people and beat thousands.Pavel Latushka, a former government minister turned opposition activist who fled Belarus, told The Associated Press that his home in Minsk was searched by authorities, along with the apartments of dozens of opposition activists and their relatives across the country. He said the raids involved police armed with assault rifles who broke doors.“This is yet another wave of brutal suppression of dissent and crude harassment ...

WestJet says your winter coat isn’t considered carry-on

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:16:01 GMT

Despite some rumours and rumblings online, WestJet says your winter coat is not considered carry-on baggage.In a statement to CityNews, an airline spokesperson says they “can confirm that winter jackets are permitted as an additional item to WestJet’s carry-on baggage allowance.”“However, cabin crew members or flight attendants may ask guests to refrain from placing jackets in the overhead bins to ensure everyone’s bags can fit,” the statement continues.The uncertainty comes after a recent post on social media was picked up by some outlets, claiming WestJet staff “announced that a -jacket- counts as a personal carry on item.”On its website, WestJet says every “guest in a confirmed seat is allowed one free piece of carry-on baggage and one personal item, total.”Carry-on items must be within 53 centimeters in length by 38 centimeters in width, and 23 centimeters in height, while personal items must be within 41 centimeters in length, by ...

LIVE: Johnson unveils plan to move migrants into churches as tent camp construction to begin Wednesday

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:16:01 GMT

CHICAGO — Mayor Johnson addressed Chicago's migrant crisis Tuesday morning and unveiled a plan to move some migrants into churches as a highly-discussed tent camp is scheduled to start construction.Johnson joined faith leaders and other charitable organizations to address the crisis at 10 a.m.A "unity initiative" will move migrants out of police stations and into 17 churches as construction begins on the winterized tent camp Wednesday. It is planned to open in "mid-December."Buses will working Wednesday morning to help move the migrants, who have been sleeping outside and living at police stations, into the churches.Faith leaders said $350,000 has been raised toward the effort and hope for $1 million by January.Mayor Johnson pointed to the history of faith leaders in Chicago opening their arms to people during The Great Migration."It's been the fait community that has shown its generous support to families throughout generation," Johnson said.The camp, located in Brighton Park at 38...