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Catalan separatists reach deal to give socialists control of Spanish parliament

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:59 GMT

An election repeat in Spain appears less likely after a last-minute deal was reached Thursday regarding control of the Spanish parliament’s main administrative body.According to several Spanish media reports, the Catalan separatist Junts party has agreed to back Francina Armengol, the socialist candidate for the presidency of the parliament’s bureau, the powerful body that approves the creation of parliamentary groups, authorizes investigative commissions and ultimately determines which bills are taken up by MPs.The last-minute deal, which was announced just minutes before the parliament began the new legislative session, comes as a relief for socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who hopes to remain in power in the fractured political landscape created by last month’s inconclusive national elections.After the July 23 vote, Spain’s left-wing and right-wing political blocs each control 171 seats in the 350-seat chamber. The support of Junts’ MPs is key for t...

OBF: Elliott’s Building 19 turn just what Pats need

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:59 GMT

“Good Stuff Cheap.”That was the Building 19 motto.The discount retailer’s TV ads filled local airwaves for decades.Owner Jerry Ellis became infamous for his cheap stuff and tacky commercials.Building 19 is no longer with us, but the Patriots continue to scour the bargain bin for their skill positions.Drafting N’Keal Harry in the first round can wreck anyone’s long-term budget.The Patriots found Zeke Elliott in the Salvation Army kettle.Elliott, 28, began his end-zone-kettle celebrations back in 2016 as a rookie with the Cowboys. He has since used his post-TD revelry (fines and all) to raise money for the noteworthy charity.Things are dismal in Bill Belichick’s backfield this summer. To get Elliott, the Patriots tossed $1.55 million in base salary, up to $850,000 in roster bonuses, and a $600,000 signing bonus, into the metaphorical red kettle.Depending on how much cereal Zeke eats, he could earn up to $3 million more in incentives.All of that adds up to about 6 million in Patriots D...

Tee Thursday: Puerto Rico a golfer’s delight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:59 GMT

We all have those special spots we remember forever: The field you scored the game-winning goal on. The tree you had your first kiss under. The location of your wedding, and the building that holds your first college dorm room. So many spots that tug at your heart.I have a new one: the spot I fell in love with golf. I remember it completely. I was on the green of a long par 4. Just beyond us, the Caribbean sea was sparkling. Above us, palm trees were waving in the perfect breeze. I’d just sunk a hero putt after a decent fairway performance and, as I heard that “plink!’ sound of my ball dropping into the hole, I thought: “I think I’m meant to be a golfer.”Puerto Rico was the spot, and forever, it will be special to me in my golf life.Be you a low handicapper, mid-level golfer or like me that day, a bit of a wanna-be, Puerto Rico (www.discoverpuertorico.com) and its golf scene is ripe for your own “aha moment,” and promises not just great days of golf and more, but rich memories like ...

Pakistan arrests 129 Muslims after mob attacks on churches and homes of minority Christians

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:59 GMT

JARANWALA, Pakistan (AP) — Police in eastern Pakistan arrested 129 Muslims overnight after a Muslim mob angered over an alleged desecration of the Quran attacked churches and homes of minority Christians, prompting authorities to summon soldiers to restore order, officials said Thursday.The Christians living in the city of Jaranwala in the Faisalabad district quickly moved to safer places as the mob rampaged Wednesday, and there were no casualties from what was one of the country’s most destructive attacks against Christians.They slowly returned home to see the destruction Thursday. At least one church was burned, four were damaged and two dozen homes were torched or badly damaged.“We were sitting at home when suddenly we heard that a mob is coming and it is burning homes and attacking churches,” Shazia Amjad said as she wept outside her torched home. She told The Associated Press that the mob burned household items and furniture and some of her possessions were stolen while s...

In the news today: Encroaching wildfire prompts evacuation of Yellowknife

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:59 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…Evacuation ordered for Yellowknife due to fireResidents of the capital of the Northwest Territories and two neighbouring First Nation communities have been ordered to evacuate by Friday because of an encroaching wildfire.The evacuation order issued late Wednesday applies to Yellowknife, which has a population of about 20,000 people, as well as the nearby communities of Ndilo and Dettah.The territorial government says residents living along Ingraham Trail and in Dettah, Kam Lake, Grace Lake and the Engle Business District are at highest risk and should leave as soon as possible.It says other residents have until noon on Friday to leave.—Here’s what else we’re watching …Decision opens up debate about consent, technologyA ruling that a man who secretly recorded consensual sex he had with two women constitutes sexual assault is opening a deb...

Niger’s neighbors running out of options as defense chiefs meet to discuss potential military force

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:59 GMT

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Regional countries are facing a crisis of legitimacy as they run out of options and time to restore democratic rule in Niger after soldiers ousted the president last month, say analysts. Defense chiefs from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, are meeting in Ghana Thursday to discuss Niger’s crisis after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers to release and reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or face military intervention. Bazoum was overthrown in July and remains under house arrest with his wife and son in the capital, Niamey. This is the first meeting since ECOWAS ordered the deployment of a “standby force” last week to restore constitutional rule in the country. It’s unclear if or when troops would intervene. A force would likely consist of several thousands soldiers from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Benin and could take weeks or months to prepare, say conflict experts. ECOWAS has a poor track record in stemming the region’s rampant coups: neigh...

Oceanographers say warming waters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence affecting animal life

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:59 GMT

MONTREAL — From great white sharks around Quebec’s Îles-de-la-Madeleine to lobsters conquering new territory, oceanographers say the warming of the Gulf of St. Lawrence is having an impact on the creatures that live in its unique ecosystem.Data from Fisheries and Oceans Canada show that deepwater temperatures have been increasing overall in the gulf since 2009. In 2022, gulf-wide average temperatures hit new record highs at depths of 150 to 300 metres, and passed the threshold of 7 C at 300 metres for the first time. Average monthly temperatures at the sea surface also set new records in August and September, the data showed.The news is worrisome to oceanographers, who say they’re already seeing the impact of the warming water on different species in the gulf, which touches five provinces at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.Philippe Archambault, a professor of oceanography at Université Laval, says that while ecosystem changes are a normal part of nature, the speed of...

First person: The quest for an ancient colossus, in the wild rainforest of B.C.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:59 GMT

Trees of breathtaking size surround us, draped with moss and lichen, as droplets of water sparkle on the tips of endless foliage.Decaying fallen trees have created a multi-layered understory that ensnares our group, until a fern-lined stream bed offers a clearer path toward our goal — a mass of silvery wood that vanishes, then reappears, fleeting in the kaleidoscope of green.Self-described “big-tree nerd” Colin Spratt, 28, has a knack for spotting the shadowy grey bark indicating an ancient western red cedar.He points out a promising shape.“That could be it, right? It’s giving me that timeless, silver wall,” he says. “These little pinholes of light are painting the picture of something incredible.”Ahead of us stands a red cedar of mythic proportions and longevity. Estimated by core sampling to be 2,100 years old, it is rumoured to be six metres in diameter — potentially the widest of its kind on record, and perhaps the biggest tree in Canada...

Is it sexual assault to secretly record intimate encounter? Ottawa case sparks debate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:59 GMT

OTTAWA — Secretly filming and sharing footage of consensual sex constitutes a sexual assault, according to an Ottawa judge’s recent ruling, sparking a debate over how courts view consent in cases involving technology. Views on the issue have been evolving in recent years, spurred by high-profile cases, particularly involving teenagers, of revenge porn and “sextortion,” which involves threatening to share evidence of sexual activity unless demands are met.The federal government added a Criminal Code charge for the non-consensual sharing of intimate images online, and some provincial legislatures have changed laws in the hopes of offering victims more recourse through civil claims. But the recent case out of Ottawa raises a new question.“This is a really unique case because this is not something we’ve seen before,” said Moira Aikenhead, a law professor at the University of Victoria who specializes in technology-based gender violence.“When you ...

Yellowknife residents ordered to leave as wildfire burns nearby

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:59 GMT

YELLOWKNIFE — Residents of the capital of the Northwest Territories and two neighbouring First Nation communities have been ordered to evacuate by Friday because of an encroaching wildfire.The evacuation order issued late Wednesday applies to Yellowknife, which has a population of about 20,000 people, as well as the nearby communities of Ndilo and Dettah.The territorial government says residents living along Ingraham Trail and in Dettah, Kam Lake, Grace Lake and the Engle Business District are at highest risk and should leave as soon as possible.It says other residents have until noon on Friday to leave.The government says it is safe for people to leave Yellowknife by road, while air evacuations for people at higher risk, such as those who are immunocompromised, are set to begin this afternoon.In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Premier Caroline Cochrane asked residents leaving by road to obey all warning signs, emergency management officials, traffic control devices and post...