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UK prime minister wants to raise the legal age to buy cigarettes in England so eventually no one can

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:28 GMT

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday proposed raising the legal age that people in England can buy cigarettes by one year, every year until it is eventually illegal for the whole population and smoking will hopefully be phased out among young people. Setting out his plan at the annual Conservative Party conference, Sunak said he wanted to “stop teenagers taking up cigarettes in the first place.”It is currently illegal for anyone to sell cigarettes or tobacco products to people under 18 years old throughout the U.K. Sunak’s office said the incremental changes would stop children who turn 14 this year and those younger than that now from ever legally being sold cigarettes in England.If Parliament approves the proposal, the legal change would only apply in England — not in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.“People take up cigarettes when they’re young. Four in five smokers have started by the time they’re 20,” he said. “Later, the vast majority try ...

Claimant in Nygard trial says shame, fear for career prevented her coming forward

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:28 GMT

TORONTO — One of the women who has accused former fashion mogul Peter Nygard of sexual assault has told jurors at his Toronto trial that she was afraid to come forward for years following the alleged attack. Nygard, the founder of a now-defunct international women’s clothing company, is accused of using his position in the fashion industry to lure women and girls.The 82-year-old has pleaded not guilty to five counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in alleged incidents ranging from the ’80s to mid-2000s.The jury has heard that the first claimant, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, met Nygard for a Rolling Stones concert in Toronto in the late ’80s before being led back to the top-floor bedroom at his company’s Toronto headquarters, where she alleges she was trapped and attacked.She has testified today that she decided not to come forward immediately because of shame, fear that she wouldn’t be believed and that it wo...

Quebec police arrest 10 over alleged grandparent scams linked to organized crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:28 GMT

MONTREAL — Quebec provincial police say they have arrested 10 people in connection with an alleged grandparent fraud scheme linked to organized crime.Sgt. Catherine Bernard says officers are still looking for another three suspects as part of an operation today targeting the alleged fraud network operating in the greater Montreal area.Grandparent scams generally target seniors and see fraudsters pretend to be grandchildren who need money to deal with an emergency.Bernard says the victims were primarily located in the United States.She says Quebec police worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other American agencies as part of the investigation. Those arrested are expected to appear in Quebec court later today and could face charges of fraud, identity theft and gangsterism.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2023. The Canadian Press<!– Photo: 20231004111020-651d837588e19c9df7729212jpeg.jpg, Caption: Quebec provincial police say they hav...

Stealing the show: Acuña leads speedsters seeking October impact in pitch clock era

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:28 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — The image of Ronald Acuña Jr. stealing second base and then holding the bag above his head in triumphant glory is a signature moment from the Atlanta Braves’ season.The steal did more than make Acuña the game’s charter member of the 40-70 club. It also set him up to score the go-ahead run in a 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 27.The game of baseball has changed, and players with game-changing speed are taking advantage.Fans only now turning their attention to baseball for the postseason will find a different game. Players are running much more than a year ago thanks to new rules that also promise to have an impact on the playoffs. There were 3,503 stolen bases in the regular season, a dramatic jump of more than 1,000 from a year ago. It’s the highest total since 1987’s record of 3,585.Expect the rampant running to continue in the playoffs.“Guys are going to be turning it loose like they have all year,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “...

Biden announces more student debt relief as payments resume after the coronavirus pandemic pause

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced another round of federal student loan forgiveness on Wednesday as borrowers brace for payments to restart after a three-year pause that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Democratic president’s latest step will help 125,000 borrowers by erasing $9 billion in debt through existing relief programs. In total, 3.6 million borrowers will have had $127 billion in debt wiped out since Biden took office. “President Biden has long believed that college should be a ticket to the middle class, not a burden that weighs on families,” the White House said in a statement.Biden was scheduled to make a formal announcement at the White House in the afternoon.He promised to help alleviate the burden of student debt while running for president, and he’s been under pressure to follow through even though his original plan was overturned by the conservative majority on the Supreme Court.He has been relying on a patchwork of different program...

S&P/TSX composite down as price of oil and energy stocks fall, U.S. stock markets up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:28 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index was down in late-morning trading as the price of oil fell and losses in energy stocks weighed on the market.The S&P/TSX composite index was down 56.87 points at 18,964.05.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 5.08 points at 33,007.46. The S&P 500 index was up 8.61 points at 4,238.06, while the Nasdaq composite was up 93.36 points at 13,152.83.The Canadian dollar traded for 72.70 cents US compared with 72.93 cents US on Tuesday.The November crude contract was down US$3.00 at US$86.23 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was up six cents at US$3.01 per mmBTU.The December gold contract was down US$3.10 at US$1,838.40 an ounce and the December copper contract was down five cents at US$3.57 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) The Canadian Press

Youngkin administration says unknown number of eligible voters were wrongly removed from rolls

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:28 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration acknowledged this week, with early voting underway, that it is working to fix an error that caused an unknown number of eligible Virginians to be removed from the voter rolls. State election officials are working with Virginia State Police to identify voters whose registration was “canceled in error” and begin the process of having those people immediately reinstated, Andrea Gaines, a spokesperson for the Department of Elections, told VPM News Tuesday. The Richmond news outlet reported the problem appears to stem from recent changes the agency has made in an attempt to remove people from the rolls who had their voting rights restored by a governor but went on to be convicted of a new felony.In Virginia, a felony conviction automatically results in the loss of a person’s civil rights, such as the right to vote, serve on a jury, run for office and carry a firearm. The governor has the sole discretion to restore thos...

Illinois DCFS director resigns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:28 GMT

CHICAGO — The head of Illinois’ child welfare agency announced his resignation during a zoom meeting with staff today, according to participants. Gov. JB Pritzker appointed Marc Smith to lead the Department of Children and Family Services in April 2019. Neither DCFS nor the governor’s office responded to inquiries. Smith’s tenure coincided with a surge in the number of kids being monitored by the agency and a global pandemic that made finding shelter and foster care for kids in crisis extra challenging. WGN Investigates reported in 2019 that an increasing number of kids were sleeping in DCFS offices due to a lack of appropriate placement options.Pritzker called the conditions “unacceptable” and Smith vowed to tackle the problem and open “welcome centers” to accommodate kids. However, in 2022, lawmakers summoned Smith to hearings sparked by WGN Investigates reporting and the director acknowledged nearly 200 kids had spent at least one night in space not licensed as a proper...

Mayor Johnson signs order to establish city's first chief homelessness officer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:28 GMT

CHICAGO — Mayor Johnson announced Tuesday a new executive order establishing a chief homelessness officer for the City of Chicago.It will be the first ever position of its kind in the city."It’s long overdue to provide solutions for stable, permanent and affordable housing for more than 68,000 of our unhoused neighbors,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "By establishing a Chief Homelessness Officer for the City of Chicago, we will have a critical point of contact to coordinate efforts and leverage the full force of government to provide shelter for all people."Johnson said the new position will be responsible for addressing the complexities of homelessness and housing insecurity in Chicago, fostering greater policy and operational coordination across city departments and sister agencies and providing strong leadership to effect improvements."Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness is so pleased to partner with Mayor Johnson to create the first-ever Chief Homelessness Officer positio...

A new communications tool helps to prepare for floods

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Flooding continues to be the most frequent severe weather-related threat in Central Texas and across the country. It's not just a major threat but a costly one as well.The National Weather Service has a new tool designed to help emergency and water managers be better prepared for and respond to flooding. This new feature being added to the NWS' suite of products will work to support flash flood watch information and warnings. It's a product that will provide near-real-time, high-resolution street visualizations showing when, where, and how much flood waters are forecast. It's the first of its kind.Proper and timely communication is essential because lives are at stake in a flooding situation. This new modeling will provide more pertinent information for emergency managers, so they can be better prepared to mitigate and reply to flood impacts.A spokesperson for NOAA's National Weather Center says it will, among other things, assist emergency management officials to p...