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City council to declare mayor’s office vacant in first meeting since Tory’s resignation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:23 GMT

Toronto city council is set to meet for the first time Wednesday since the shocking resignation of former mayor John Tory.One of the item’s on the agenda will be to declare the mayor’s office vacant ahead of the upcoming June byelection. Once the office is officially vacated then a bylaw will be passed requiring a byelection.If approved, nominations for candidates would open on April 3. A number of high-profile candidates have already declared their intention to run for mayor.The mayoral byelection is set for June 26 with advanced voting to begin on June 8.The byelection for a new mayor was triggered after John Tory officially stepped down back on Feb. 17 after announcing he had an “inappropriate relationship” with someone who used to work on his staff.Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie has assumed his duties on an interim basis and has said she will not be among the candidates running to replace him.

Philippine police seize large stash of drugs in tea bags

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:23 GMT

BAGUIO, Philippines (AP) — Philippine police seized more than 500 kilograms (more than half a ton) of suspected methamphetamine concealed in tea bags Wednesday and arrested a suspected Chinese drug dealer in a northern mountain resort city, police officials said.The drug seizure in Baguio city had an estimated street value of 4 billion pesos ($74 million) and was one of the largest in recent years, officials said.A drug syndicate apparently hid the suspected drugs, locally known as shabu, in Baguio, a popular tourism destination known for its mountain scenery and pine trees, and not in metropolitan Manila due to an ongoing anti-drugs crackdown in the capital region, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and police officials said.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in June, has vowed to press on with his predecessor’s crackdown against illegal drugs, which left thousands of mostly petty drug suspects dead, but said it would be done differently and focus more on rehabilit...

Chairman says Gazprom close to maximum gas supply to China

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:23 GMT

BO’AO, China (AP) — Russia’s Gazprom is increasing gas supplies to China and expects soon to reach the maximum planned level through a Siberian pipeline, its chairman said Wednesday, highlighting Beijing’s importance as his country’s top export market in the face of Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.Gazprom is negotiating with China over a possible additional supply project across neighboring Mongolia, Viktor Zubkov said at a government-organized economic forum. He said the company is open to serving other Asian markets.Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government sees Moscow as a diplomatic partner in opposing U.S. domination of global affairs and has refused to criticized its invasion of Ukraine. Beijing has called for a cease-fire and negotiations but not a Russian withdrawal.China’s imports from Russia, mostly oil and gas, surged 31.3% over a year ago in January and February to $18.6 billion. That helps President Vladimir Putin offset lost re...

Swiss seniors take government to European court over climate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:23 GMT

STRASBOURG, France (AP) — A group of Swiss pensioners took their government to a top European court Wednesday over what they claim is its failure to take stronger action on climate change.Lawyers and members of the group Senior Women for Climate Protection appeared before the European Court of Human Rights for a rare public hearing that activists say could mark a legal milestone in legal efforts to force governments to curb greenhouse gas emissions.They were cheered by supporters and the environmental group Greenpeace who rallied outside the court.The group, which counts around 2,000 members across Switzerland with an average age of 73, argues that older women’s rights are especially infringed on because they are most affected by the extreme heat that will become more frequent due to global warming, which current Swiss climate policy contributes to.After exhausting domestic legal avenues, the group has taken its case to the Strasbourg, France-based tribunal in the hope of sett...

EXPLAINER: Mass shootings seldom shift partisan policies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:23 GMT

Public outrage is swift following mass shootings, such as the killing of six people at a Christian elementary school in Nashville. Sorrow and sympathy are widespread. But what comes next from policymakers is likely to depend on which political party is in charge of a state. Don’t expect new gun controls in Republican-led states, such as Tennessee or Texas. But when similar tragedies occur in Democratic-led states, more gun limits are likely — even if they already have restrictive laws. Mass shootings generally don’t seem to change a state’s basic political makeup. “Democratic-led states tend to focus more on firearm restrictions whereas Republican-led states do not and often emphasize lessening regulations on guns,” said Jaclyn Schildkraut, executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government. The fact that responses seem predicated by Republican and Democratic labels is perhaps an indication of the nation&#...

Crash on I-787 southbound near exit 7E

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:23 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- According to 511 NY, there is a crash on I-787 southbound near exit 7E, NY 378 eastbound in Colonie, which has resulted in two of the three left lanes closing. The crash was first reported just after 5 a.m. this morning. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Stick with News10 as more information regarding the crash becomes available.

#2 Tufts pulls away to knock off #6 Union

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:23 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – #6/8 Union College hung with #2 Tufts University for the first half, but the offense dried up in the second half and the Jumbos finished the game with nine unanswered goals as Union dropped a 14-7 contest in non-conference men's lacrosse action on Tuesday evening at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Junior Jake Mabardy led all players with a game- and career-high four goals, and was matched by the four points of classmate Zach Davis on a goal and three helpers. Fellow juniors Peter Kip and Justin Greene both scored as well for Union (6-2), but the home team struggled offensively in the second half without two of their top offensive weapons. The Union defense did an excellent job keeping the high-scoring Tufts (8-0) offense in check for much of the night, limiting the Jumbos to 10 goals under their season average and conceding only four points (...

Russia fires supersonic anti-ship missile at mock target in Sea of Japan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:23 GMT

Russia's navy fired supersonic anti-ship missiles at a mock target in the Sea of Japan, the Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday (28 March)."In the waters of the Sea of Japan, missile ships of the Pacific Fleet fired Moskit cruise missiles at a mock enemy sea target," it said in a statement on its Telegram account."The target, located at a distance of about 100 kilometres (62.14 miles), was successfully hit by a direct hit from two Moskit cruise missiles."The P-270 Moskit missile, which has the NATO reporting name or SS-N-22 Sunburn, is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile of Soviet origin, capable of destroying a ship within a range of up to 120 km (75 miles).Japan's foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Tokyo will stay vigilant against Moscow's military operations, while adding that no damage had been reported after the missile launches."As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, Russian forces are also becoming more active in the Far East, including Japan's vicinities,"...

'Never Give Up' badge for scouts launched

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:23 GMT

He’s recently met Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and, now, the face of British Scouts movement is the inspiration behind an exciting new initiative in the UK.Bear Grylls is the larger-than-life adventurer who, this week, hit the headlines in the UK for an hour-long documentary he made about a visit to war-torn Ukraine where he met the president as well as ordinary Ukrainian men and women living under the daily threat of Russian bombardment.The documentary was widely praised as is a new initiative Grylls has inspired: “Never Give Up” badges for scouts.In the TV programme, which aired on Tuesday (28 March), Grylls, who is chief ambassador of World Scouting, is seen giving one of the badges to a young Ukrainian boy.Encountering the boy, who was a member of the Ukrainian equivalent of the scouts, Grylls told him: “It’s always an honour for me to meet a fellow scout.”The youngster, watched by his mother at their home in Kiev, was clearly delighted to receive the badge which can ...

Ask Amy: My mean mother-in-law is taking over my life

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:23 GMT

Dear Amy: I am in my first year of marriage, trying to navigate a tricky in-law situation.My mother-in-law does a lot of taking and not a lot of giving. This dynamic is increasing at a fast pace.Not only does she ask for my help constantly, but she also makes everything extremely complicated and frustrating for everyone involved. She will not tolerate being told no. She becomes passive-aggressive and at times has been mean enough to make me cry.Recently I (involuntarily) assisted her in planning a surprise birthday party for a woman I have never met. My husband and our toddler son even traveled four hours away to attend the party because she would not take no for an answer.Now she has asked that I help her make a scrapbook for this same stranger, using my wedding photos, which would involve hours of work.I have also helped her move furniture out of a storage unit.She never offers to help with our son, even though she lives five minutes away, is retired and in excellent health.I alre...