Rights group urges eastern Libya to free singer, blogger

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:53 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — A global rights group Monday urged authorities in eastern Libya to release a singer and a blogger arrested for allegedly violating a widely criticized cybercrime law.According to a statement from Human Rights Watch, both women — popular folk singer Ahlam al-Yamani and blogger Haneen al-Abdali — were arrested in February for allegedly violating “honor and public morals.”The Interior Ministry in the eastern city of Benghazi accused them of insulting “the status of the chaste and dignified Libyan woman in our conservative society with acts and behaviors that are foreign to us and offend our customs, traditions and true religion.”They have since been held in connection with cases “against honor and public morals” and for violating the anti-cybercrime law, which the east-based House of Representatives adopted in September, the ministry said.A spokesman for the the east-based government did not respond to a request for comment.U.N.-backed investigators and other global ...

Rogers finalizes $26-billion merger with Shaw after receiving government approval

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:53 GMT

TORONTO — Rogers Communications Inc. has closed its $26-billion purchase of Shaw Communications Inc. after receiving final approval from Ottawa last week, bringing to an end two years of uncertainty as regulators scrutinized the deal.“This is a momentous day for our customers, who will benefit from the latest services and network technology, and for our teams, who have worked so hard to get us here,” said Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri in a press release.“We’re proud to bring together these two iconic companies to deliver more value, more connectivity, and more innovation for Canadians.”Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne gave the green light to the takeover on Friday by agreeing to the transfer of Shaw-owned Freedom Mobile’s wireless licences to Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron, the final regulatory step allowing the main deal to go ahead.Rogers and Shaw agreed in June 2022 to sell Freedom Mobile to Videotron for $2.85 billion in an attempt to ease competition concerns raised by the ...

BoC surveys show economy softening, future inflation expectations falling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:53 GMT

OTTAWA — New reports from the Bank of Canada suggest business and consumer expectations on inflation are moderating, but a potential recession continues to weigh on economic outlooks.The surveys released today show inflation expectations are easing, but consumers and businesses continue to expect inflation to remain above two per cent until at least 2025.The Bank of Canada closely monitors inflation expectations in the economy because inflation can stay high if businesses and consumers continue to expect prices to rise rapidly.The central bank aggressively raised interest rates since March 2022 to clamp down on rapidly rising prices. It’s currently holding its key interest rate steady at 4.5 per cent and doesn’t anticipate raising it again, so long as inflation cools fast enough.With its key interest rate at the highest level since 2007, higher borrowing costs are expected to further constrain consumers and weigh on business activity in the coming months.The central bank’s sur...

Peru removed as host of this year’s men’s Under-17 World Cup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:53 GMT

ZURICH (AP) — Peru was stripped of hosting the men’s Under-17 World Cup on Monday because FIFA said the country was not ready to stage the tournament later this year.FIFA did not name a replacement host for the 24-team tournament scheduled to be played from Nov. 10-Dec. 2.The decision comes one week after FIFA took the men’s Under-20 World Cup from Indonesia because that country did not want to host Israel at its tournament in May.FIFA cited Peru’s inability “to fulfill its commitments to completing the infrastructure required to stage the tournament.”“There is now not sufficient time to secure the required investment and complete the necessary work with the Peruvian government ahead of the tournament start date,” FIFA said.FIFA picked both Peru and Indonesia in 2019 to host the respective 2021 editions of the tournaments. Both have been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.Argentina wants to stage the Under-20 World Cup. FIFA is expected to confirm a host n...

LSU's Reese unapologetic over gestures to Iowa's Clark

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:53 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — LSU's Angel Reese waved her hand in front of her face while staring down Caitlin Clark, then pointed toward her finger as if to say a ring was coming while walking toward the Iowa star.The gestures late in the Tigers' 102-85 victory in the NCAA championship game Sunday lit up social media, with comments supporting the “Bayou Barbie” for trash talk that's just part of the game and condemning her for lacking grace in victory.The bubbly junior from Baltimore, who transferred from Maryland to join flamboyant LSU coach Kim Mulkey, was unapologetic in the postgame news conference.“All year, I was critiqued about who I was,” Reese said. “I don’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing. So this was for the girls that look like me, that’s going to speak up on what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you.”Clark, the scoring sensation who was the first with consecutive 40-point games in an NCAA...

Michelle Obama says being 'othered' made her want to be 'the best first lady'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:53 GMT

(The Hill) - Michelle Obama says being "othered" as a child helped propel her aim to be "the best first lady.”“We cannot pretend that kids don't see when they're being devalued, because anytime it happened to me as early as kindergarten, I knew it,” Obama told David Letterman in a preview clip from Audible’s “Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast,” obtained exclusively by ITK.The full podcast episode is poised to be released on Tuesday.“I knew in second grade that the second grade teacher thought we were all dumb and not worth it because she didn't organize the class. She wasn't giving us homework,” Obama said, adding that the educator "didn't think the kids she was teaching were worthy."During the podcast, recorded during her nationwide promotional tour last year for her book “The Light we Carry," Obama, 59, described her mother as being receptive to her complaints about the teacher.“I had a mother who believed in my voice,” she said.“What happened was my mother went up to th...

North DuSable Lake Shore Drive resurfacing project to begin in April

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:53 GMT

CHICAGO — North DuSable Lake Shore Drive is set to go under construction within the next two weeks, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). CDOT announced Monday morning the resurfacing project is expected to begin April 16.The project will include milling the existing asphalt roadway pavement and repairing the viaduct over Montrose Drive.Construction will extend over LaSalle Drive to Lawrence Avenue going northbound and Lawrence Avenue to Irving Park Roads going South. What to know about the 2023 White Sox home opener CDOT says all lanes will be fully reopened during morning and afternoon rush periods.The Chicago Department of Transportation encourages the public to make extra time for traffic on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, take public transportation if possible and take alternate routes. The project is set to finish by mid-June.For more traffic updates: City of Chicago :: Transportation

VIDEO: Rare sighting of whale without a tail breaching

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:53 GMT

NEWPORT, Calif. (KSWB) -- A migrating gray whale that appeared to be missing its tail was spotted off the Southern California coast.Drone footage captured by Newport Coastal Adventure last month shows the marine mammal breaching near Newport Beach. As seen in the video, the whale's fluke, or tail fin, looks to be completely missing. Adult gray whales typically have tail flukes that are nearly 10 feet wide, according to NOAA Fisheries."This is definitely a 'miracle whale' since, despite completely missing its tail, it’s still persevering and continuing to make such an epic 12,000-mile roundtrip migration from their feeding grounds in Alaska to the breeding grounds in Mexico and back," said Jessica Roame, the Education Programs Manager for Newport Landing and Davey’s Locker Whale Watching. Seaweed bloom reaches record size: ‘Major beaching events are inevitable’ According to Roame, the gray whale without a tail fin was swimming at a normal pace of 3 mph. She said this type of i...