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Protests again hit France as striker numbers dwindle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:47 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Protesters disrupted vehicle traffic at Paris’ main airport and police fired clouds of tear gas in other French cities in the latest round of strikes and demonstrations Thursday against President Emmanuel Macron’s contested pension reforms. Macron’s drive to raise the national retirement age from 62 to 64 has ignited a months-long firestorm of public anger. Talks between trade union leaders and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne broke up Wednesday without a breakthrough, setting the stage for protesters’ return to the streets. However, the number of strikers has fallen, particularly in the transportation sector, since protests began in January. About 400,000 people joined the protest in Paris Thursday, down from 450,000 the week before, said the powerful CGT union. Police estimates of the marchers’ numbers weren’t immediately available but are always lower.On Thursday, the Paris Metro ran almost normally, in stark contrast to previous days of action. Less than 8...

Juventus given partial stadium ban for racism toward Lukaku

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:47 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Juventus was given a partial stadium ban for its next home game in the Italian Cup after some of its supporters directed racist chants at Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku.Lukaku was sanctioned with a second yellow card for provoking Juventus fans by holding his finger to his lips as if to silence the crowd after converting a stoppage-time penalty to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the semifinals on Tuesday.Lukaku was suspended for the second leg of the semifinals on April 26 by the Italian league judge on Thursday.Lukaku’s gesture enraged the opposing team and the game ended in a scuffle between the two squads, with Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado and Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic also sent off.Cuadrado was banned for three matches while Handanovic was banned for one game. Each player was fined 10,000 euros ($11,000).Part of the southern end of the Allianz Stadium will be closed for Juventus’ first home game in next season’s Italian Cup.Juventus said it wou...

Stocks drift as they close out a holiday-shortened week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:47 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting amid mixed trading Thursday, threatening to send the S&P 500 to its first losing week in the last four following some discouraging reports on the economy. The S&P 500 was 0.1% lower in midday trading, and it’s on pace for a 0.6% loss for the week. The U.S. stock market will be closed Friday in observance of Good Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 88 points, or 0.3%, at 33,393, as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% higher. A report on Thursday morning showed that fewer U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, though the number was still higher than expected. The government changed how it tracks the numbers, which could cause some swings, and the number of workers getting continuing claims for benefits rose to the highest level since December 2021. Thursday’s data followed a string of reports on the economy earlier in the week that were weaker than expected. That included everyth...

Arkansas lawmakers reject proposed affirmative action ban

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:47 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas’ Republican-led House has rejected and effectively killed legislation aimed at banning affirmative action by state and local governments after critics said it would have gone much further than its architects said it would and threatened a host of programs around the state.The bill rejected Wednesday on a bipartisan 51-27 vote would have prohibited state and local governments from granting preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity and national origin. It also would have applied to public schools and institutions of higher education.Immediately after the vote, the House approved a procedural move that prevents the measure from being reconsidered.“This bill here is not going to help us move forward,” Democratic state Rep. Fred Allen said. “It’s going to hinder us from moving forward. Not only that, this bill isn’t going to bring us together. It’s going to divide us.”The proposal was rejected as GOP-led s...

S&P/TSX composite down in late-morning trading, U.S. stock markets mixed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:47 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index was down in late-morning trading as losses in the energy and base metal stocks weighed on the market, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.The S&P/TSX composite index was down 21.33 points at 20,138.22.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 81.78 points at 33,400.94. The S&P 500 index was down 5.39 points at 4,084.99, while the Nasdaq composite was up 4.75 points at 12,001.61.The Canadian dollar traded for 74.17 cents US compared with 74.31 cents US on Wednesday.The May crude contract was down 17 cents at US$80.44 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was down six cents at US$2.09 per mmBTU.The June gold contract was down US$9.40 at US$2,026.20 an ounce and the May copper contract was up a penny at US$4.00 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April , 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press

Ex-head of Michigan marijuana board charged with bribery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:47 GMT

The former head of a Michigan medical marijuana licensing board has agreed to plead guilty to accepting $110,000 in bribes to influence his decisions when he led the panel over a two-year period, authorities said Thursday.Charges against Rick Johnson and three other men were announced by U.S. Attorney Mark Totten at a press conference in the capital, Lansing.Johnson was chairman of the marijuana board for two years until spring 2019. The Republican also was one of the most powerful lawmakers in the Capitol, serving as House speaker from 2001-04.“Public corruption is a poison to any democracy. … That poison is especially toxic here,” Totten said. “The marijuana industry has been likened to a modern-day gold rush, a new frontier where participants can stake their claim and just maybe return big rewards.”The marijuana board reviewed and approved applications to grow and sell marijuana for medical purposes.Johnson and the others have signed agreements to plead guilty in comi...

UK envoy says new Pacific Rim trade deal quota can sidestep ongoing beef spat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:47 GMT

OTTAWA — Britain’s envoy to Canada says an uproar in the Prairies over an expanded trade deal could be overcome by ranchers rejigging their beef operations to meet U.K. standards.In an interview, British High Commissioner to Canada Susannah Goshko says Brits don’t want their government to budge on barring imports of beef raised with certain hormones.But groups like the Canadian Cattle Association say that concern isn’t based in science, and that the U.K. is already exporting far more beef to Canada than trade in the other direction.The industry wants Canada to block Britain’s entry to a massive Pacific Rim trade bloc and halt the ongoing negotiations for a separate U.K.-Canada trade deal until the Brits change their stance.Goshko says the solution might be for Canadian ranchers to instead change their way of raising cows, as the Pacific Rim deal will allow vastly more quantities of Canadian beef to reach Britain.She adds that the ongoing trade talks for a bil...

Ontario’s top doctor recommends COVID-19 booster shots for high-risk groups

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:47 GMT

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health is recommending that high-risk individuals get their COVID-19 booster shot this spring.Dr. Kieran Moore says anyone over the age of 65, long-term care and retirement home residents, and anyone who is moderately or severely immunocompromised should consider getting the booster if it has been at least six months since their last dose or if they have tested positive for COVID-19.“Staying up to date with vaccinations continues to be our best defense against COVID-19 and I’m strongly encouraging everyone, especially those with an increased risk of severe infection, to get all boosters available,” Moore said in a statement.“I’m encouraging everyone to keep helping reduce the spread of respiratory illness by staying home when they feel sick, washing their hands often and covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze.”Appointments can be booked through the province’s COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling 1-8...

South Korean president invited to address US Congress

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. congressional leaders have invited the president of South Korea to address a joint meeting during a visit to Washington later this month.House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other leaders announced Thursday they have invited Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol to address a joint meeting of Congress in honor of the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea. The session is set for April 27.“With this year marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance between our two countries, it is an especially important time to reflect on the achievements of our partnership and to reaffirm our shared commitment to democracy, economic prosperity, and global peace,” the leaders wrote.They said the relationship between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea “is one of great importance and significance” and said the meeting “would provide an ideal platform for you to share your vision for the future of the U.S.-...

Harris to announce huge community solar deal in Ga. visit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is set to announce an agreement for what the Biden administration calls the largest community solar effort in U.S. history, enough to power 140,000 homes and businesses.Harris is visiting the Qcells solar panel factory outside Atlanta on Thursday. The South Korean company’s corporate parent, Hanwha Solutions Corp., said in January it would invest $2.5 billion to expand its U.S. solar manufacturing, including building another Georgia plant. Qcells projects it will supply about 30% of total U.S. solar panel demand by 2027, including making solar panel components usually manufactured outside the United States.A deal to be announced Thursday calls for Qcells and Summit Ridge Energy of Virginia to deploy community solar projects capable of generating 1.2 gigawatts of electricity in Illinois, Maine and Maryland, senior administration officials said Wednesday. Community solar projects allow people to tap into solar power generated at a shared ...