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Russia wants you to think the Black Sea grain deal is dead in the water

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:38 GMT

BRUSSELS — Some 28 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain have been exported under the Black Sea Grain Initiative since last July, including to poor countries facing the brunt of the world’s spiraling food crisis.But Russia is threatening to walk away from the pact, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, unless its demands are met. The Kremlin is effectively threatening a return to the full-scale maritime blockade that halted Ukraine’s grain exports in the months after its full-scale invasion in February last year.Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres in New York next week to discuss an extension of the deal beyond May 18.The outlook is “not looking good,” the Kremlin has said, sparking speculation that the deal, which allows limited Ukrainian grain volumes to reach foreign buyers, will soon be dead in the water. Ratcheting up the pressure, a letter from Russia to the Joint Coordination Committee of the Black Sea Grain I...

Danes, Dutch to donate Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:38 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark and the Netherlands announced Thursday that they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 14 refurbished German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks, to be supplied from early 2024.Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called it “a significant donation” which came on top of a contribution by Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany, announced in February, to supply at least 100 Leopard 1 A5 tanks. In a joint statement, the Danish and Dutch defense ministers said the estimated cost of 165 million euros “to jointly acquire, refurbish and donate” will be equally divided between the two NATO members. “In this way, we will jointly take part in the ‘Leopard 2 coalition’, supported by many partners and allies,” they said.In January, Germany agreed to send 14 newer Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its military’s current stocks. Acting Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stressed that the tanks were not Danish but are “bought in collaboration with t...

Nokia profits down, sees economy impacting client spending

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:38 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — Wireless and fixed-network equipment maker Nokia on Thursday reported lower than expected profits as it warned that the current economic situation was starting to impact spending by operators and other customers.The Espoo, Finland-based company reported net profit of 342 million euros ($375 million) for the January-March period, down 18% from 416 million euros a year earlier. Net income attributable to shareholders was 332 million euros, down from 409 million euros the previous year. Nokia’s sales were up 10% at 5.9 billion euros. Nokia is one of the world’s main suppliers of 5G, the latest generation of broadband technology, along with Sweden’s Ericsson, China’s Huawei and South Korea’s Samsung.Referring to increased sales, CEO Pekka Lundmark said that the first quarter gave “a solid start” to 2023 for Nokia but “looking forward, we are starting to see some signs of the economic environment impacting customer spending.”“Given the ongoing need to invest in 5G and fib...

$252.6 million winning Powerball ticket sold in Ohio

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:38 GMT

MACEDONIA, Ohio (AP) — Someone in Ohio went to bed $252.6 million richer, before taxes, after hitting the Powerball jackpot Wednesday night.The winning ticket was sold at Get Go #3279 in Macedonia and is Ohio’s fourth Powerball jackpot winner since joining the game April 16, 2010. The retailer will receive a $100,000 bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.The winner can choose the cash option of $134.7 million.This follows back-to-back Mega Millions jackpots being won on Friday ($483 million) and Monday ($20 million). Both winning tickets were sold in New York.The winning numbers were: 4-11-21-38-64; Powerball: 11. Power Play: 3x.The winner used the auto pick feature to choose their numbers and has 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize. No one has yet to come forward to claim.The Associated Press

NATO chief visits Kyiv for 1st time since Russian invasion

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:38 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Ukraine for the first time since last year’s invasion by Russia, an alliance official said Thursday.“The NATO Secretary General is in Ukraine. We will release more information as soon as possible,” said an alliance official, who asked not to be identified in line with NATO procedures.Pictures of Stoltenberg apparently paying tribute to fallen Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv’s St Michael’s Square were published by local media.Stoltenberg has been the strong voice of the alliance throughout the yearlong war and has been instrumental in garnering and coordinating support by the 31 members for the embattled nation as it sought to hold on to its territory.Stoltenberg had been to Kyiv before the war, but this is his first visit during the hostilities and underscores the longstanding commitments of the alliance in defense of Ukraine’s independence.___Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.The Associated Press

In The News for April 20 : Federal public servant strike continues as both sides meet

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:38 GMT

In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what’s on the radar of our editors for the morning of April 20 …What we are watching in Canada …Canada’s largest federal public-service union and the federal government are both warning of likely service disruptions as nearly one-third of all federal public servants remain on strike.The job action taken by members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada could amount to a complete halt of the tax season, slowdowns at the border and pauses to new EI, immigration and passport applications.In one of the largest strikes in Canada history, federal workers walked off the job as of 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, hitting the picket lines at some 250-plus locations across the country.The bargaining groups involve some 155,000 federal public servants, including 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency staffers and about 46,000 essential workers who are not part of the strike action.The un...

Vancouver police promise upgrades to psychological testing following inquest

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:38 GMT

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Police Department is promising to upgrade psychological interviews for potential new recruits and to seek funding for annual psychological check-ins for all officers.The pledges are in a report detailing how the department says it plans to implement eight recommendations from an inquest into the suicide death of Vancouver Const. Nicole Chan in 2019. The report is expected to be formally presented to the police board this afternoon.It also includes a promise to improve human resources training and update the department’s respectful workplace policy to recognize rumours and gossip as an example of unprofessional behaviour.An inquest jury earlier this year heard that before Chan died she’d had relationships with two senior officers and accused one of them of extorting her to continue a sexual relationship.Witnesses testified Chan was anxious about workplace rumours and felt that she had been taken advantage of while she was severely depressed. This repor...

Both union, government warn of major service disruptions as a result of strike

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:38 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s largest federal public-service union and Ottawa are both warning of likely service disruptions as nearly one-third of all federal workers remain on strike.The job action taken by members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada could amount to a complete halt of the tax season, slowdowns at the border and pauses to new EI, immigration and passport applications.In one of the largest strikes in Canada history, government workers walked off the job as of 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, hitting the picket lines at some 250-plus locations across the country.The bargaining groups involve some 155,000 federal public servants, including 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency staffers and about 46,000 essential workers who are not part of the strike action.The union is asking for a 13.5 per cent raise over the next three years, saying the increases are necessary to keep pace with inflation and the cost of living.The Treasury Board and the CRA both say they have offered the union a nin...

MPs tout supply management as fix for poor countries, aim to shelter from trade deals

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:38 GMT

OTTAWA — Members of Parliament are rallying to bolster Canada’s system of protecting dairy and poultry prices amid trade deals, and suggest developing countries do the same.The House of Commons trade committee is set to undertake its final, detailed review Thursday of a Bloc Québécois bill aimed at tying trade negotiators’ hands so that new deals don’t chip away at the system that controls quotas and prices for certain industries.Since 1972, Ottawa and the provinces have regulated the supply and cost of eggs, dairy and poultry through steep tariffs on imports, with slight tweaks for trade deals in the last decade that have drawn the ire of Canada’s powerful agriculture lobby.The legislation would make it harder for negotiators to give ground on a system that proponents argue keeps a stable supply of goods and protects farms, but which detractors say drives up the cost of grocery bills and leads to farmers dumping millions of litres of perfectly good milk.In a...

Some U.S. cities may offer model to ease Canada transit violence: experts

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:38 GMT

TORONTO — As Canadian cities look for ways to combat violence on public transit, experts say strategies south of the border that combine law enforcement, social supports and community engagement could offer new solutions. Violence on transit has captured national attention in recent weeks – a 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed on a Vancouver-area bus last week, a man had life-threatening injuries after his throat was slashed on a Surrey, B.C., bus earlier this month, and a 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack at a Toronto subway station in March.Those high-profile cases were among many other instances of aggression on transit in several cities. Transit agencies and police have been working to understand what’s driving the violence, with some pointing to the pandemic as a factor. Experts say some American cities have taken a multi-pronged approach to violence on transit, addressing issues like housing, mental health and substance abuse in parallel with ...