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Hundreds of residents on Indonesian island protest the growing arrival of Rohingya refugees by sea

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:12:42 GMT

SABANG, Indonesia (AP) — More than 200 people protested Monday against the continued arrival of Rohingya refugees by boat on an island in Indonesia.Over 1,500 Rohingya, who fled violent attacks in Myanmar and now are leaving camps in neighboring Bangladesh in search of better lives, have arrived in Aceh off the tip of Sumatra since November. They have faced some hostility from fellow Muslims in Aceh.The protesters, many of them residents and students, called on authorities and the U.N. refugee agency to remove all Rohingya refugees from Sabang island. They also want humanitarian organizations helping the refugees to leave.The latest arriving boat carried 139 Rohingya, including women and children.“Our demand is to reject them all. They must leave. Because Sabang people are also having a hard time, they cannot accommodate any more people,” said one protester, Samsul Bahri.Last week, Indonesia appealed to the international community for help.Indonesia once tolerated such landings of r...

Germany’s economy seen shrinking again in the current quarter as business confidence declines

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:12:42 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s economy is likely to shrink again slightly in the current fourth quarter, the country’s central bank said Monday, while a survey showed business confidence retreating unexpectedly.Europe’s biggest economy contracted by 0.1% in the third quarter after growing by the same amount in the previous three-month period, according to official figures.The Bundesbank said in its monthly report that “real gross domestic product in Germany is likely to decline again slightly in the fourth quarter of 2023” as a result of weak performances in industry and constructionTwo consecutive quarters of contraction is a common definition of recession, though the economists on a panel that declares recessions in the eurozone use a broader set of data, including employment figures.Germany is the only major economy expected to shrink this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, which foresees a decline of 0.5%. The German government has forecast a decline of 0.4...

Ukraine’s military chief says one of his offices was bugged and other devices were detected

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:12:42 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military chief said Monday that a covert listening device was found in one of the offices where he works, and hinted without elaborating that bugs were detected in other locations.Army Cmdr. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi commented to local media about Sunday’s revelation by Ukraine’s Security Service that during a routine sweep a bug was found in a room he used. The device wasn’t working, the agency said.Suspicion immediately fell on Russia amid the almost 22-month war between the two countries that is set to grind on into another year.“I have several offices where I work. This happened in one of them,” Zaluzhnyi said. “We checked (the room) and found (the device),” he said.He added that listening devices were not only found in the office where he worked, but he didn’t provide further details and left it unclear whether more than one device was found in the Ukraine General Staff premises.The murky developments left lots of questions unanswered. Officials did not c...

1 in 4 Canadians fear income won’t cover basic needs: Salvation Army poll

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:12:42 GMT

TORONTO — A new survey suggests one in four Canadians are extremely concerned about having enough income to cover their basic needs, with the highest degree of hardship being felt by single parents.The Salvation Army released the data today as part of their annual report examining Canadians’ attitudes and experiences with poverty and related socioeconomic issues.Among single parents, closer to half are reporting extreme concern about meeting basic needs at 40 per cent, while the numbers clock in at 31 per cent for single-person households and 31 per cent for caregivers.The research by Edelman Data and Intelligence suggests one in five Canadians are eating less so their children or other family members could eat, and one in five also skipped or reduced the size of at least one meal in the last year because they couldn’t afford groceries. Those numbers jump again to nearly half for single parents.The research was conducted Oct. 12 to 19 among a nationally representative sa...

European Union investigating Musk’s X over possible breaches of social media law

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:12:42 GMT

LONDON (AP) — European Union are looking into whether Elon Musk’s online platform X breached tough new social media regulations in the first such investigation since the rules designed to make online content less toxic took effect. “Today we open formal infringement proceedings against @X” under the Digital Services Act, European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a post on the platform Monday. “The Commission will now investigate X’s systems and policies related to certain suspected infringements,” spokesman Johannes Bahrke told a press briefing in Brussels. “It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation.”The investigation will look into whether X, formerly known as Twitter, failed to do enough to curb the spread of illegal content and whether measures to combat “information manipulation,” especially through its Community Notes feature, was effective. The EU will also examine whether X was transparent enough with researchers and will look into suspicions that its use...

3 injured, including officer, after car flips trying to escape police in Etobicoke

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:12:42 GMT

Two people are in custody after a car crashed while trying to escape police in Etobicoke on Monday morning.Toronto police say officers were attempting to stop a vehicle near Eva Road and Highway 427 around 5:30 a.m.It is alleged the car tried to escape police and then rolled over near an apartment building on Eva Road. The two occupants of the vehicle were arrested at the scene.Both occupants and an officer were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.The investigation is ongoing.

Myanmar Supreme Court rejects ousted leader Suu Kyi’s special appeal in bribery conviction

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:12:42 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s Supreme Court rejected Monday a special appeal by the country’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi against her conviction in a case in which she was charged with corruption for allegedly receiving gold and thousands of dollars as a bribe from a former political colleague, a legal official said.Suu Kyi, 78, was arrested on Feb. 1, 2021, when the military seized power from her elected government.She is serving prison sentences totaling 27 years after being convicted of a string of criminal charges that her supporters and independent analysts say were concocted to discredit her and legitimize the military’s seizure of power.Monday’s trial was closed to the media diplomats and spectators. Suu Kyi’s lawyers were barred by a gag order from talking about it. A legal official relayed the court’s decision to The Associated Press while insisting on anonymity for fear of being punished by the authoritiesSuu Kyi was convicted, in the special appeal case, o...

Gildan chair Donald Berg says CEO change a careful and deliberate process

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:12:42 GMT

MONTREAL — Gildan Activewear Inc. says its plan to replace co-founder Glenn Chamandy as chief executive was a multi-year, careful and deliberate process that included him at appropriate times.Chamandy said last week that he was terminated without cause after four decades with the company, including nearly 20 years as president and chief executive. Several large shareholders have called for him to be reinstated.In a statement, Gildan chair Donald Berg says the company’s succession planning resulted in a well thought out rationale for the board’s unanimous decision to appoint Vince Tyra as the new CEO. The comments by Berg came as Gildan announced an agreement with Coliseum Capital Management that will see the investment firm support the company’s board nominees for its 2024 and 2025 annual meetings.Coliseum holds a 6.6 per cent stake in Gildan, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv. In connection with its support agreement with Gildan, the investment firm pla...

Kimberly Palmer: More retailers are charging return fees. Here’s how to pay less

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:12:42 GMT

If you’re someone who likes to return and exchange gifts after the holidays, prepare yourself: Making returns could feel a little different this year.“It’s going to be hard for consumers to navigate,” says shopping expert Trae Bodge. “The return policies are all over the place.” The biggest change, she adds, is that more retailers are charging fees for returned merchandise.About 40% of online and brick-and-mortar retailers are charging fees for returns this year compared with 31% last year, according to David Morin, vice president of customer strategy at Narvar, which handles shipping, tracking and returns information post-purchase for online retailers. Those return shipping or restocking fees are generally $3.99 to $9.99, he says.The good news is there are ways to minimize return fees and in some cases avoid them altogether. Here’s what experts recommend.REVIEW RETURN POLICIES IN ADVANCEBecause retailer return policies vary so much and many have recently changed, Morin recommends c...

Monday Forecast: Windy and cold with temps in upper 20s

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:12:42 GMT

CHICAGO — Mostly cloudy Monday with temperatures falling. A few snow showers/flurries and windy conditions. Winds: NW 15-25 G40. High: 29. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Mostly clear tonight. Winds: NW 5-10 G30. Low: 20.Tuesday Forecast: Partly cloudy, SSW 5-15 G20. High: 32.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog