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Hungary asks EU to take action against Bulgaria’s transit tax on Russian gas

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:59 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary has asked the European Union’s executive to open a legal procedure against Bulgaria over a tax it recently imposed on Russian natural gas passing through its territory, a government minister said on Friday. Bulgaria believes the tax, which it levied in October, will reduce the privileged position of Russia’s state-owned energy company Gazprom in southeastern Europe and deter Russian influence in the region. But the tax has angered Bulgaria’s neighbor Serbia, as well as fellow EU member Hungary, which are heavily dependent on Russian gas coming mostly via Turkey and Bulgaria through the TurkStream pipeline. In a Facebook video, Hungary’s minister for EU affairs, Janos Boka, said he had sent a letter to the European Commission urging it to launch an infringement procedure against Bulgaria, the first potential step the bloc can use to ensure its laws are upheld by member states. Boka complained that Bulgaria had imposed the tax without...

Tesla faces strikes in Sweden unless it signs a collective bargaining agreement

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:59 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Pressure is growing on Tesla in Sweden, where a trade union is demanding that the Texas-based automaker sign a collective bargaining agreement, which most employees in the Scandinavian country have.Tesla has no manufacturing plant in Sweden, but 130 members of the powerful metalworkers’ union IF Metall walked out on Oct. 27 at seven workshops across the country where its popular electric cars are serviced.Other trade unions joined in solidarity, including dockworkers at Sweden’s four largest ports who decided Tuesday to stop the delivery of Tesla vehicles to increase pressure on the automaker to accept the metal workers’ demands.On Friday, the Painters’ Union said 53 painting companies would not do any work on Tesla vehicles in sympathy with IF Metall. If there is no agreement with Tesla by Tuesday, “a total of 109 companies may be prevented from handling and painting Tesla cars,” it said in a statement. Another major trade union, the Swedish Union for Service and C...

Blinken urges Indian counterparts to co-operate with Canada on Nijjar murder probe

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:59 GMT

WASHINGTON — The U.S. secretary of state is once again urging India to help Canada advance its investigation into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Antony Blinken says it’s very important for India to co-operate so that the investigation can continue to move forward. Blinken made the comments today after meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior Indian officials in New Delhi. He says India and Canada are two close friends and partners of the U.S. and wants to see the dispute resolved as soon as possible. Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh activist long denounced by India as an extremist, was shot and killed in June outside a gurdwara in Surrey, B.C. In September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shocked the House of Commons with what he called “credible allegations” that agents of India’s government were involved.“These are two of our closest friends and partners, and of course we want to see them resolving any differences or disputes that they h...

‘From the river to the sea’: Why a 6-word phrase sparks fury and passion over the Israel-Hamas war

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:59 GMT

The Jordan River is a winding, 200-plus-mile run on the eastern flank of Israel and the occupied West Bank. The sea is the glittering Mediterranean to its west.But a phrase about the space in between, “from the river to the sea,” has become a battle cry with new power to roil Jews and pro-Palestinian activists in the aftermath of Hamas’ deadly rampage across southern Israel Oct. 7 and Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” pro-Palestinian activists from London to Rome and Washington chanted in the volatile aftermath of Israel’s bloodiest day. Adopting or defending it can be costly for public figures, such as U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who was censured by the House on Tuesday.But like so much of the Mideast conflict, what the phrase means depends on who is telling the story — and which audience is hearing it.Many Palestinian activists say it’s a call for peace and equality after 75 years of Israel...

Toronto condo owner loses $10,000 in rental bookings over address mix-up

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:59 GMT

A Toronto woman who was looking to rent out the second bedroom in her downtown condominium is speaking out over what she calls a very frustrating attempt to legally get it listed on a popular web platform.The troubles began last spring when Leslie Davis moved several hours outside of Toronto to live with her partner.“Since I’m away, I decided to rent out a second bedroom in my condo to make ends meet,” she told CityNews.Davis followed all the proper procedures, including getting approval to register her property under the City of Toronto’s short-term rental guidelines. She hired a property manager and decided to list the rental on Airbnb.“I was told everything was good to go.” she said. “I immediately started to get bookings.”But then a few weeks later, her ad was taken down.“The City of Toronto had actually flagged the listing as non-compliant.”She was not told why — only that there was some sort of inconsistency in the address on the listing.After investigating and speaking ...

Harris files paperwork putting Biden on South Carolina’s ballot to kickoff 2024’s Democratic primary

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:59 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris flew to South Carolina on Friday to file paperwork putting President Joe Biden on the 2024 presidential ballot of the state that will lead off the Democratic presidential primary — thanks to a White House-led schedule overhaul meant to better empower Black voters. Harris was joined in the state capital by Rep. Jim Clyburn, one of the leading Black voices in Congress. Then-candidate Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign was floundering after big losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, but rebounded with a decisive South Carolina win that was solidified by Clyburn’s late endorsement. That 2020 boost gave Biden enough momentum to romp through Super Tuesday, clinch his party’s primary and later the White House. Since announcing his reelection bid in April, Biden has made far more frequent official visits to Pennsylvania — a key battleground in the general election — than states that will decide Democrats’ 2024 primary.Har...

Top 1% of tax filers saw incomes rise by almost 10% in 2021: Statistics Canada

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:59 GMT

Statistics Canada says the country’s top one per cent of tax filers saw their incomes rise by almost 10 per cent in 2021, while those in the bottom half saw their average income decline.The agency says the incomes of the top earnings group, excluding capital gains, jumped 9.4 per cent higher to $579,000.Meanwhile, filers in the top 0.1 per cent saw their average income increase 17.4 per cent to almost $2.1 million and those in the top 0.01 per cent experienced an average income increase of 25.7 per cent, bringing their earnings to about $7.7 million.At the same time, filers in the bottom half saw their average income fall by $1,400 to $21,100 in 2021 as the government ended many of its pandemic benefit programs.Statistics Canada adds women made up roughly 26 per cent of the top one per cent of income tax filers, up from 25.4 per cent in 2020 and 11.4 per cent in 1982.Its research also looked at money made from the sale of a home or other asset, finding 12.2 per cent of tax fil...

US military chief says he is hopeful about resuming military communication with China

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:59 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — The top U.S. military officer said Friday he has conveyed to China his hopes to resume the stalled communication between the world’s two biggest militaries.The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. CQ Brown Jr., told a selected group of journalists Friday in Tokyo that it is “hugely important” to “ensure there is no miscalculation” between the sides. He said he conveyed his desire to restart the dialogue in a letter to his Chinese counterpart.“I’m hopeful,” Brown added.China froze military exchanges in August 2022 when then-Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited self-governing Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. The two sides have shown indications in recent weeks that they are close to resuming the exchanges.Brown made his comment during the Tokyo leg of a trip to Asia ahead of next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, to be hosted by President Joe Biden in San Francisco. Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi Jin...

Wrong-way driver dies, another killed in multiple vehicle crash on Ontario highway

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:59 GMT

One person driving the wrong way on an Ontario highway died and took the life of another driver following a multiple-vehicle crash in Whitby last month.Members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Toronto Detachment responded to a three-vehicle collision just after 7 p.m. on October 29. OPP said a blue SUV was travelling southbound in the northbound lanes on Highway 418 near Taunton Road, and while officers were responding to the call, the SUV collided head-on with a black SUV travelling northbound near Nash Road.The 41-year-old driver of the wrong-way vehicle from Courtice, Ont., and the 36-year-old driver of the black SUV from Oshawa, Ont. were both pronounced deceased at the scene. OPP said a third blue SUV travelling northbound collided with the involved vehicles moments later, sending two occupants to hospital with minor injuries. Police said the next-of-kin for both deceased drivers were notified. They were not identified publicly.The highway’s northbound lanes were cl...

Driver flees after sideswiping officer during traffic stop: CPD

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:59 GMT

CHICAGO -- Police are searching for a driver who sideswiped a police officer after fleeing a traffic stop on the South Side overnight, police said.According to police, officers were conducting a traffic stop near the 10800 block of South Vincennes Street around 1:14 a.m. when the driver sideswiped an officer as he was exiting the car. Chicago officer charged, relieved of police powers for hitting 8th grader The officer was transported to a local hospital in good condition and no other injuries reported. The driver fled and there is no one in custody.