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Assad reshuffles Syria’s Cabinet amid harsh economic crisis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:11 GMT

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad replaced several Cabinet ministers Wednesday amid a sharp increase in prices and worsening economic conditions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, state media reported.SANA reported that Assad replaced the ministers of oil, internal trade, industry and social affairs and labor.The news agency did not give a reason for the government reshuffle, but it comes amid harsh public criticism over rising prices and food shortages during Ramadan, when observant Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk.Syria’s economy hit its lowest point this year since the start of the conflict in 2011, with spiraling inflation, a currency plunge and sharp increase in food prices.It’s the result of years of war, Western sanctions, widespread corruption and a three-year economic meltdown in neighboring Lebanon.After a Feb. 6, earthquake hit Turkey and Syria and killed more than 50,000 people, Damascus’ ties with some Arab ...

In The News for March 29: Will the Nova Scotia shooting inquiry find the answers?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:11 GMT

In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what’s on the radar of our editors for the morning of March 29 …What we are watching in Canada …On July 22, 2020, about three months after a gunman murdered 22 people in Nova Scotia, a procession of grieving relatives marched to the local RCMP detachment, demanding an independent and open inquiry into the rampage.On Thursday, Nick Beaton, who lost his pregnant wife in the April killings, and others, will see the result of their demands as a federal-provincial inquiry — which was announced a week after the 2020 demonstration in Bible Hill, N.S. — delivers its final report.The mass shooting began in the tranquil community of Portapique when a 51-year-old Halifax denturist assaulted his spouse, loaded his illegal firearms into in a replica RCMP vehicle and began shooting his neighbours. Thirteen people died that night, as houses set on fire by the killer created a night...

Calls mount for Taliban to free girls’ education activist

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:11 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Calls mounted Wednesday for the Taliban to free a girls’ education activist arrested earlier this week in Kabul, as a government minister defended the detention.Matiullah Wesa, founder and president of Pen Path — a local nongovernmental group that travels across Afghanistan with a mobile school and library — was arrested in the Afghan capital on Monday.Since their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed restrictions on women’s and minority rights. Girls are barred from school beyond the sixth grade and last year, the Taliban banned women from going to universities.Wesa has been outspoken in his demands for girls to have the right to go to school and learn, and has repeatedly called on the Taliban-led government to reverse its bans. His most recent tweets coincided with the start of the new academic year in Afghanistan, with girls remaining shut out of classrooms and campuses.Late Tuesday, the US charge d’affaires for Afghanistan, Karen Decker, ...

N.S. mass shooting inquiry report must deliver ‘clear commentary’: family lawyer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:11 GMT

HALIFAX — On July 22, 2020, about three months after a gunman murdered 22 people in Nova Scotia, a procession of grieving relatives marched to the local RCMP detachment, demanding an independent and open inquiry into the rampage.Nick Beaton, who lost his pregnant wife Kristen Beaton in the April 18-19, 2020, killings, wore a sign with a photo of his young son kissing Kristen. “I miss my Mommy,” it read. “We deserve answers and the truth.”On Thursday, Beaton and others who pressed for answers will see the result of their demands as a federal-provincial inquiry — which was announced a week after the 2020 demonstration in Bible Hill, N.S. — delivers its final report.Sandra McCulloch, a lawyer who represents 14 of the victims’ families, said in an interview Tuesday they are hoping “for clear commentary on what things went wrong and what things ought to have been done better or differently.”The mass shooting began in the tranquil community of Por...

Ramadan highlights how workplaces can better support Muslim employees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:11 GMT

TORONTO — Khadija Waseem loves tea and coffee, so when she told colleagues she was savouring her last cup ahead of the start of Ramadan’s fasting period last week, they were quick to tease her.“Everybody was joking, ‘Please, you’ve been drinking this in every meeting and we’ve had back-to-back meetings,'” said the Toronto-based strategy consultant at Monitor Deloitte. But the moment turned “very magical” when a colleague, who Waseem said “did not fit the identity of what we think Muslims look like,” excitedly shared that they were marking Ramadan too and had given up coffee more than a week ago.The encounter was a reminder of the camaraderie that can develop in an inclusive office, but Waseem and others know that feeling and the supportive atmosphere enabling such conversations is still lacking in many workplaces.Although Islam was Canada’s second most practised religion in 2021 with 1.8 million Muslims in the country...

Walmart and Costco in Canada not making food inflation worse: experts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:11 GMT

TORONTO — Experts say the Canadian presence of American retail giants such as Walmart and Costco isn’t likely to blame for rising grocery prices.That’s despite Canadian grocery chain executives having pushed for MPs to question those retailers as part of their study on food inflation.University of Toronto economist Ambarish Chandra called ongoing hearings before a parliamentary committee studying the issue, “performative,” saying all retailers seek to maximize profits despite their stated efforts to minimize price hikes.“It’s easy to call on the foreign companies and make them explain why they’re fleecing hardworking Canadians,” said Chandra.“It’s not as though American grocers are taking advantage of Canadians and Canadian grocers aren’t. The grocers are going to charge what they can get away with, what the market will bear.”His remarks come as Canadian grocers and consumersare under pressure as food prices con...

Daily horoscope for March 29, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:11 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Cancer.Happy Birthday for Wednesday, March 29, 2023:You are gentle, cooperative and polite. You are careful, cautious and observant about everything around you. This is the perfect year for you to socialize and enjoy life! Let your guard down and loosen up a bit! Have fun, but don’t lose sight of your goals. Enjoy yourself!ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★Something unexpected but probably pleasant might impact your home scene today. A classic possibility would be that suddenly you are entertaining a group of people. Or perhaps someone unusual comes to your home. Or something unexpected impacts your family or where you live. It’s an interesting day! Tonight: Patience with family.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★This is a lovely day. In particular, it’s an excellent day to work in conjunction with others. Because new ideas and unusual events might impact your day, you have news to te...

Angry youths challenge Macron and his pension law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:11 GMT

Charles Chauliac, a teenager, is furious that French President Emmanuel Macron wants to delay retirement for hard-working people like his parents. He bypassed parliament in order to do this.The 18-year old has been taking to Paris' streets every evening for the past few days to force a U turn.He marches through Paris, dodges police, and joins other young people in spontaneous protests, singing: "We're here, we're here, even though Macron doesn't want it!"The reform, which increases the age at which most people are eligible to draw a retirement pension by two years to 64 is more relevant to their parents and less to young people like Chauliac.Youths are joining protests in increasing numbers since the government chose to bypass parliament. This is a concern for authorities, in a country where young people can be crucial in street protests.Chauliac said: "We are really upset about the bill being forced through."This latest wave of protests has been the most severe and serious challeng...

Islamists arrested in Antwerp and Brussels, 'well advanced' terror attacks averted

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:11 GMT

Belgian press has reported on the arrests of eight people following house searches in the Brussels and Antwerp areas. At least five of those arrested, two in Antwerp and three in Brussels, are suspected of preparing a terrorist attack."At least two of those involved are suspected of having made preparations to commit a terrorist attack in Belgium," the federal prosecutor's office said in a press release. "The target of the attack has not yet been determined."Nevertheless, plans for the attack were reportedly well advanced, and those arrested are described as “Islamists”.The investigation will seek to ascertain who influenced the aspiring terrorists.“We are seeing more and more the phenomenon that young people are becoming radicalized in a short period of time,” the federal prosecutor said. “Sometimes that happens in just a few weeks.”There are reportedly links between the Antwerp and Brussels suspects, but further research will have to show to what extent the two groups were co-ordi...

Miss Manners: I was told I should have lied about this walk in the park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:11 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I recently attended a dinner party where one of the other guests was someone whom I had met once, several years ago, and hadn’t seen since. At that time, we were part of a large group visiting a park. Apparently she and I spent an hour or two walking around together and talking.To be honest, I had no recollection of this event. She asked if I remembered, and seemed somewhat surprised and offended when I said I didn’t.After the dinner, a family member told me that I should’ve just nodded and said, “Oh yes, I remember, what a pleasant afternoon,” or something like that. I was worried that I would be caught out in a lie — I’m not a good liar — and just confessed that I didn’t remember.What do you think I should have done?GENTLE READER: Certainly not asserted something that would quickly be revealed as untrue.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Best man is on the hook for 5-day bachelor party and two ...