EU strives to keep focus on Ukraine amid Middle East turmoil
EU leaders meeting in Brussels Friday discussed bolstering support for Ukraine, as they strived to focus on helping that country against Russia's invasion even as...
2023-10-27 18:18
California program to lease land under freeways faces scrutiny after major Los Angeles fire
The state of California operates a little-known program to lease land under freeways that is now under scrutiny after this weekend’s arson fire under Interstate 10 in Los Angeles
2023-11-15 13:16
China Says It’s Talking to the US About Xi Attending APEC Summit
China said it’s talking to the US about who will represent the Asian nation at a summit in
2023-09-26 13:58
Canadian journalist and author Peter C. Newman dies at 94
Veteran Canadian journalist and author Peter C. Newman, who held a mirror up to Canada, has died. He was 94. Newman died in hospital in Belleville, Ontario, Thursday morning from complications related to a stroke he had last year and which caused him to develop Parkinson’s disease, his wife Alvy Newman said by phone. In his decades-long career, Newman served as editor-in-chief of the Toronto Star and Maclean’s magazine covering both Canadian politics and business. “It’s such a loss. It’s like a library burned down if you lose someone with that knowledge,” Alvy Newman said. “He revolutionized journalism, business, politics, history.” Often recognized by his trademark sailor’s cap, Newman also wrote two dozen books and earned the informal title of Canada’s “most cussed and discussed commentator,” said HarperCollins, one of his publishers, in an author's note. Political columnist Paul Wells, who for years was a senior writer at Maclean’s, said Newman built the publication into what it was at its peak, “an urgent, weekly news magazine with a global ambit. But more than that, Wells said, Newman created a template for Canadian political authors. "The Canadian Establishment’ books persuaded everyone — his colleagues, the book-buying public — that Canadian stories could be as important, as interesting, as riveting as stories from anywhere else,” he said. “And he sold truckloads of those books. My God.” That series of three books — the first of which was published in 1975, the last in 1998 — chronicled Canada’s recent history through the stories of its unelected power players. Newman also told his own story in his 2004 autobiography, “Here Be Dragons: Telling Tales of People, Passion and Power.” He was born in Vienna in 1929 and came to Canada in 1940 as a Jewish refugee. In his biography, Newman describes being shot at by Nazis as he waited on the beach at Biarritz, France, for the ship that would take him to freedom. “Nothing compares with being a refugee; you are robbed of context and you flail about, searching for self-definition,” he wrote. “When I ultimately arrived in Canada, what I wanted was to gain a voice. To be heard. That longing has never left me.” That, he said, is why he became a writer. The Writers’ Trust of Canada said Newman’s 1963 book “Renegade in Power: The Diefenbaker Years” about former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker had “revolutionized Canadian political reporting with its controversial ‘insiders-tell-all’ approach.” Newman was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1978 and promoted to the rank of companion in 1990, recognized as a “chronicler of our past and interpreter of our present.” Newman won some of Canada’s most illustrious literary awards, along with seven honorary doctorates, according to his HarperCollins profile. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Chicago to move migrants from police stations to tent camps before winter under mayor's plan Teens killed in car by deputy in upstate New York were 15 and 17, police say Texas AG Ken Paxton's impeachment trial defense includes claims of a Republican plot to remove him
2023-09-08 06:58
A top EU official convenes a summit to deal with a fallout in Europe from the Israel-Hamas war
A top European Union official says the bloc's leaders will hold an emergency summit on Tuesday as concerns grow that the war between Israel and Hamas could fuel inter-communal tensions in Europe
2023-10-16 17:21
Prison probably isn't the end of the political road for Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan's popular opposition leader, is now an inmate at a high-security prison after being convicted of corruption and sentenced to three years. It's the most dramatic twist yet in months of political and legal wrangling between Khan and his political rivals since he was toppled in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022. Khan's party said it will appeal what government critics describe as a flimsy case, aimed at removing the former cricket star from politics ahead of a general election meant to be held this fall. The government defended the conviction as lawful and denied that Khan is a victim of political persecution. If the conviction stands, the 70-year-old Khan would be prohibited by law from running for office or leading Pakistan Tehreek e-Insaf, the party he founded in the 1990s. However, polls indicate a strong election showing for PTI, and Khan's imprisonment could further boost its standing. WHAT WAS THE CASE AGAINST HIM? An Islamabad court ruled Saturday that Khan failed to report income from gifts he received from foreign dignitaries and heads of state while he was in power. In Pakistan, government leaders are allowed to keep such gifts after leaving power, in exchange for paying a portion of the value for them. The court said Khan sold some of those gifts and failed to state those earnings in a report last year to Pakistan's election commission. The court convicted Khan of corruption, handed down a three-year sentence and fined him 100,000 rupees, or roughly $350. Shortly after the verdict, Khan was detained at his home in the eastern city of Lahore and taken to a high-security lockup in the town of Attock, about an hour's drive from the capital of Islamabad. WHAT OTHER CASES ARE PENDING AGAINST KHAN? Since Khan's ouster, more than 150 cases have been filed against him by various government agencies on charges ranging from contempt of court to terrorism and inciting violence. Critics say this flurry of legal filings is part of an attempt by the governing coalition to sideline Khan, who as opposition leader has been able to mobilize huge crowds of loyal supporters. The government, in turn, portrays Khan as a corrupt trickster who has employed legal maneuvers to stay out of prison. The government has backers in Pakistan's powerful military, which has controlled the country for much of its 75-year history. HOW IS THIS ARREST DIFFERENT? Khan is being held in Attock, a notorious lockup for convicted militants and violent criminals. Officials familiar with conditions there said he has his own cell with a fan and separate bathing facilities, a step up from the prison's generally harsh conditions. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to brief the media. This is in marked contrast to Khan's brief detention in May, after he was dragged from a court hearing on a different set of corruption charges by anti-graft officials. The Supreme Court intervened swiftly, declaring the detention illegal. Khan was allowed to stay at a guest house in a police compound and could receive visitors while the legal arguments over his detention played out. Khan eventually returned to Labore, where his car was showered with rose petals. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The Supreme Court could overturn Khan’s conviction and sentence on appeal — an outcome that political analyst Imtiaz Gul believes is likely. “There was absolutely no solid case against Imran Khan, who had to face this conviction because of a technical mistake,” said Gul, who heads the Center for Research and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed in a statement defending the conviction that support for Khan is eroding. “He may deceive a few naive, gullible supporters, but the general public now recognizes his true nature,” she wrote. “His pretense has been stripped away, revealing the face of an individual who evaded the law, exploited state gifts for trivial profits.” If Khan's conviction stands, he won't be able to lead his party into an election because those with criminal convictions are barred from running for office. But even from behind bars, he could wield significant political influence. After his detention in May, his supporters demonstrated their ability to disrupt public life. Tens of thousands of Khan loyalists rampaged through cities, some of them destroying military and government property. The government cracked down, detaining more than 7,000, with some prosecutions still ongoing. By comparison, the reaction to Khan’s arrest this weekend was much more muted, possibly because of fears of another crackdown. His calls for peaceful protests failed to rouse widespread support. WHAT IS THE POLITICAL FALLOUT? Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to dissolve parliament in the coming weeks, possibly paving the way for elections by mid-November. The government could delay the vote by several months if it decides to redraw constituencies based on recent census results. Khan's imprisonment could win him and his party greater electoral support. It would also feed into the political persona he created after losing power — that of a fearless campaigner for Pakistan's disadvantaged. “The next elections are likely to be held without active participation of Imran Khan, but even from jail, he has the potential to effectively run a campaign for his candidates,” said political analyst Azim Chaudhry. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister spends night at high-security prison after sentencing Bill apparently aimed at halting criticism of Pakistani intelligence figures expected to become law Beijing has invested $25.4B in Pakistan over the last decade, Chinese vice premier says
2023-08-07 13:15
UN climate agency picks Argentina's Saulo as first woman leader
The World Meteorological Organization voted Thursday for Argentina's Celeste Saulo to become its first woman leader and steer the WMO's critical global...
2023-06-01 19:47
Chiefs overcome mistakes to beat Jaguars 17-9, Kansas City's 3rd win vs. Jacksonville in 10 months
Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 for their third victory against the Jaguars in 10 months
2023-09-18 06:54
Teen pleads not guilty to hate crime in killing of O'Shae Sibley, who was fatally stabbed while dancing at a Brooklyn gas station
A teenager pleaded not guilty on Friday to second-degree murder as a hate crime in the killing of O'Shae Sibley, a 28-year-old professional dancer who was stabbed to death at a Brooklyn gas station after dancing to a Beyoncé song.
2023-08-11 23:22
Steve Bannon ordered to pay nearly $500,000 in legal fees to firm that represented him in subpoena fight
A New York judge has ordered Steve Bannon to pay his former attorneys nearly $500,000 in unpaid legal fees for work on various legal matters, including his fight against a subpoena by the congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack.
2023-07-10 23:26
Tarek El Moussa's daughter Taylor calls stepmom Heather Rae Young 'best mom' in 'Selling Sunset' Season 6, fans ask 'what about Christina'
While Christina Hall and Heather El Moussa tried to co-parent Taylor and Brayden, they once had an explosive feud
2023-05-24 09:55
Russia responds to fresh EU sanctions with travel bans
Russia's foreign ministry said on Friday it was expanding the list of people banned from visiting in response
2023-06-23 20:48
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