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Rishi Sunak faces fresh by-election after MP caught in lobbying sting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:56:49 GMT

LONDON — Rishi Sunak faces another by-election headache after a damning report recommended a 35-day suspension for one of his MPs caught in a lobbying sting.In a report Thursday, the standards committee recommended the hefty sanction for Scott Benton after concluding he had “committed a very serious breach” of House of Commons rules.Benton had the Conservative whip suspended in April this year after he was filmed by undercover reporters for the Times appearing to lobby ministers on behalf of a fictitious gambling company and leak confidential documents. During the sting, he was recorded agreeing a fee of up to £4,000 for two days’ work on behalf of the firm.If approved by MPs, the sanction could trigger a recall petition in his marginal Blackpool South seat, the next step to triggering a tricky by-election for Sunak’s Conservatives, who are trailing in the polls.In its report, the Committee on Standards said Thursday that Benton had “repeatedly” i...

Rishi Sunak says he’s not tetchy, honest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:56:49 GMT

LONDON — Rishi Sunak has denied being “tetchy” — insisting he just gets “frustrated” when things don’t work out as he hopes.The British PM has been accused by both critics and allies of being bad-tempered in recent weeks.“I don’t understand that … There’s nothing tetchy,” the prime minister told the Spectator magazine. “But I am passionate.” The “tetchy” charge accelerated after Sunak’s diplomatic spat with the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Sunak abruptly canceled a meeting with Mitsotakis in November, claiming his Greek counterpart reneged on a promise not to speak publicly about the disputed Parthenon Sculptures during his U.K. trip. But speaking this week in his Spectator interview, Sunak pointed to his ill-fated first leadership campaign — where he faced daily scrutiny on the way to a widely-expected defeat at the hands of Liz Truss — as an example of his ability to keep his temper. “...

Danish police arrest several people suspected of planning terror attacks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:56:49 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish police made several arrests Thursday, saying they carried out the operation “on suspicion of preparation for a terrorist attack.”The arrests were made in “a coordinated action” in several locations in Denmark early Thursday.No other details were given. The Copenhagen police and Denmark’s domestic intelligence service were to give a press conference later.The terror threat level in Denmark current is at level four, the second highest.Earlier this month, the European Union’s home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, warned that Europe faces a “huge risk of terrorist attacks” over the Christmas holiday period due to the fallout from the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.In July 2022, a gunman at a shopping mall in Copenhagen killed three people and injured seven. The man, who believed the victims were zombies, was sentenced in July to detention in a secure medical facility. He had been charged with murder and attempted murder...

How are Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea affecting global trade?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:56:49 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels have escalated attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea during the Israel-Hamas war, raising concerns about the impact on the flow of oil, grain and consumer goods through a major global trade artery. Israeli-linked vessels have been targeted, but the threat to trade has grown this week as a Norwegian-flagged oil tanker was struck and missiles were fired at a vessel carrying jet fuel toward the Suez Canal, where about 10% of the world’s trade passes through.Here are things to know about the recent attacks and the impact on global shipping:WHO IS ATTACKING SHIPS IN THE RED SEA AND WHY?The Houthis are Iranian-backed rebels who swept down from their northern stronghold in Yemen and seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, launching a grinding war against a Saudi-led coalition seeking to restore the government. The Houthis have sporadically targeted ships in the region over time, but the attacks have increased since the start of the war bet...

In the news today: Liberal caucus divided after UN vote for ceasefire in Gaza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:56:49 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…UN vote for Gaza ceasefire disappoints Israel’s ambassador, divides Liberal caucusA United Nations vote for a ceasefire in Gaza has left Canada’s Israeli ambassador frustrated in Ottawa.Iddo Moed called it “very disappointing” to see Canada vote in favour of a U-N resolution calling for a ceasefire in the latest Israel-Gaza conflict.Several Liberal MPs publicly lamented the resolution’s failure to condemn Hamas.The non-binding vote signalled a dramatic shift in Canada’s long-standing position of siding with Israel on major resolutions. Guilbeault hails ‘monumental’ COP28 deal, others warn of ‘dangerous distractions’Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault hailed a “monumental” deal Wednesday to close out COP28, the first time the United Nations climate summit of nearly 200 countries agreed to...

Hierarchical police, military and CSIS in need of harassment reckoning: professor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:56:49 GMT

VANCOUVER — Bonnie Robichaud’s ordeal started in the late 1970s when she got a unionized job as a cleaner on a military base in Ontario, and a Department of National Defence employee began sexually harassing her.Her complaint eventually reached the Supreme Court of Canada, and in 1987 it set a precedent requiring employers to provide workplaces free of harassment and discrimination.She says things are different now. But it’s women, and “not so much the military,” that have changed.“Women have become more aware, so the culture has become more aware. Women up to that point didn’t even talk to each other very much about it,” she said. “Since that victory, they have now sought support from others, other women, other groups, legal advice. So, women have become more proactive since the Supreme Court decision.”Victims of sexual harassment in Canadian police forces, the military, and its spy agency point not just to individual offenders,...

‘Damaging’: Saskatchewan high school rejects author’s talk on son coming out as gay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:56:49 GMT

REGINA — Ruby Remenda Swanson says she never thought her hometown high school would be the only place to bar her from sharing her family’s story. Remenda Swanson says she’s been to dozens of places in Canada, including two schools, to share her book “A Family Outing,” about what it was like when her teen son came out as gay.In September, Humboldt Collegiate Institute in central Saskatchewan told her that due to a provincial government directive, it had to reject her from presenting at a student inclusion club later in the year. “I got this email back, and it said, ‘As you’re probably aware, there’s been a lot going on in Saskatchewan over the past few months and we’ve been waiting for a directive,'” Remenda Swanson told The Canadian Press in an interview this week. She graduated from the high school in 1972 and now lives in Edmonton.“It said, ‘We wish to thank you for your gracious offer. However, at this time, ...

CSIS to hire impartial reviewer as part of human rights settlement with Black officer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:56:49 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s spy service has agreed to hire an independent human rights specialist to review its diversity strategy as part of the settlement of a complaint from a Black woman who worked as an intelligence officer.The Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service say the intelligence agency will also publish an executive summary of the specialist’s findings and recommendations.In addition, CSIS has committed to sharing its responses to the recommendations with the human rights commission, a federal watchdog with a broad mandate to protect people from discrimination.In a joint statement this week announcing the settlement, the commission and CSIS said the spy agency affirms its ongoing commitment to address systemic discrimination and racism, and increase diversity and inclusion in its workplace.A CSIS spokesman said the agency is determined to identify and resolve potential barriers to a safe, healthy and respectful workplace. Word of the...

Putin says some 244,000 Russian troops are fighting in Ukraine, offering a rare detail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:56:49 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that some 244,000 Russian troops are currently fighting in Ukraine, a rare detail on Moscow’s military operation there. Putin said during his year-end press conference that the Kremlin doesn’t need a second wave of mobilization of reservists, with 1,500 men recruited into the army every day across the country. As of Wednesday evening, a total of 486,000 soldiers have signed a contract with the Russian military, Putin said. “Why mobilization? There is no need,” he said.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin began his end-of-year news conference Thursday with a question about Ukraine, vowing that his goals remain the same and there would be no peace until they’re achieved. Putin was greeted with applause as he arrived in the hall in central Moscow, a short distance from the Kremlin. This year, ordinary citizens have the chance to phone in questions along ...

Daily horoscope for December 14, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:56:49 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Capricorn.Happy Birthday for Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023:Your flamboyance can call attention to you. You are a philosophical truth-seeker. You have given to others this year. In 2024, you will take time to renew your spiritual or religious beliefs. You will explore philosophies that get you closer to the true meaning of your life.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★Today you will make a great impression on parents, bosses, VIPs and the police — all authority figures in your life. In fact, this could lead to a sudden boost in your income. Gifts and favors might come your way. It’s a good day to seek a loan or ask for help from others. Tonight: You’re noticed!TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★Unexpected opportunities to travel might fall in your lap today. Likewise, a surprise chance to take a course or learn something new might be an exciting opportunity for you. Meanwhile, relations with ...