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Mahsa Amini, the Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody, is awarded EU human rights prize

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:43 GMT

STRASBOURG, France (AP) — Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody in Iran last year, sparking worldwide protests against the country’s conservative Islamic theocracy, was awarded the European Union’s top human rights prize on Thursday.The EU award, named for Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, was created in 1988 to honor individuals or groups who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms. Sakharov, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, died in 1989.Other finalists this year included Vilma Núñez de Escorcia and Roman Catholic Bishop Rolando Álvarez — two emblematic figures in the fight for the defense of human rights in Nicaragua — and a trio of women from Poland, El Salvador and the United States leading a fight for “free, safe and legal abortion.”Amini died on Sept. 16, 2022, after she was arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s mandatory headscarf law. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that day will “live in infamy,” adding that her...

BMO ranks highest in annual J.D. Power customer satisfaction study

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:43 GMT

TORONTO — As higher interest rates and the cost of living increasingly pinch Canadians’ wallets, consumers ranked BMO highest in J. D. Power’s annual customer satisfaction survey. The Montreal-based firm unseated last year’s top-ranking bank, Royal Bank of Canada, which came a close second, with CIBC third. Among the midsize banks, Tangerine Bank took the top spot for the 12th year in a row.J.D. Power says the study found more customers have been paying fees during the past year for things like overdraft, minimum account balances and ABM fees. Nearly 80 per cent of customers say the banks could do a better job at communicating how to avoid those fees. The firm says half of Canadian banking customers are considered financially vulnerable or stressed, up from 44 per cent a year ago. “Customers are under increasing economic stress and express a declining feeling that banks are addressing their concerns and financial challenges,” Paul McAdam, senior director of banking...

Woman becomes folk hero for plying Hamas militants with snacks until Israeli rescue mission arrived

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:43 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — When Hamas militants toting grenades appeared in her living room, Rachel Edri served them tea and Moroccan cookies until police stormed in and killed the attackers.Edri's tale of quick-witted survival during the Israel-Hamas war has turned the 65-year old woman into an unlikely folk hero in Israel. For many, she has come to symbolize the ingenuity of everyday Israelis left to fend for themselves as militants turned sleeping southern communities into bloodbaths on Oct. 7.After an early-morning air-raid siren, Edri returned from a bomb shelter in her hometown of Ofakim to find a band of Hamas militants in her living room. As gunfire raged outside, Edri's home saw a 20-hour tete-a-tete between hospitality and brutality.“One of the terrorists said to me: ‘You remind me of my mother.'""I told him, ‘I am really like your mother. I will help you, I will take care of you. What do you need?’” Edri told Ynet.Rachel Edri, center, from Ofakim in southern Israel, poses for a por...

Burt Young, actor who played Paulie in 'Rocky' films, dies at 83

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:43 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie, the rough-hewn, mumbling-and-grumbling best friend, corner-man and brother-in-law to Sylvester Stallone in the “Rocky” franchise, has died.Young died Oct. 8 in Los Angeles, his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, told the New York Times on Wednesday. No cause was given. He was 83.Burt Young, a cast member of the film "Rocky Balboa," gestures at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles, Dec. 13, 2006. Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie, the rough-hewn, mumbling-and-grumbling best friend, corner-man and brother-in-law to Sylvester Stallone in the “Rocky” franchise, has died. Young died Oct. 8, 2023 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)Young had roles in acclaimed films and television shows including “Chinatown,” “Once Upon a Time in America" and “The Sopranos.”But he was always best known for playing Paulie Pennino in six “Rocky” movies. The short, paunchy, b...

Austin Convention Center employees will help fill city vacancies during expansion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The 300 employees who work at the Austin Convention Center will keep their jobs during the four-year expansion project, with some employees being shifted to fill vacancies in other city departments, the center's director told council members this week. Trisha Tatro, the director of the Austin Convention Center, said a core team will remain under her department to operate the Palmer event center, the Marshalling Yard, and three parking garages. The remaining employees will be reallocated to other city departments. "We will work with those department directors," Tatro said during a work session on Tuesday. "We will allocate which employees have which skill sets." What’s happening with the Austin Convention Center? Filling city job vacancies The city of Austin is still trying to fill multiple job vacancies. The Human Resources department tells KXAN the vacancy rate is 12.9% with 2,016 openings out of the 15,669 full-time positions. In October 2022, the vacancy rate w...

Police arrest suspect accused of stealing cop car and rifle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:43 GMT

BURLINGTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Vermont State Police arrested a man accused of stealing a cop car and patrol rife on Thursday. Police sought the public's help in finding the suspect on Tuesday, later identified as Timothy Gabriel (29, Burlington and Rutland). Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Vermont State Police Police say a cop car was stolen outside of a Rutland City home between 2 and 4:40 a.m. on Tuesday. The cruiser was located elsewhere in the city, but a patrol rifle was missing from the car.Around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Vermont State Police found Gabriel walking on Cherry Street in Burlington. Police say he ignored commands directing him to surrender and was subdued by troopers. Police say at this time, the patrol rifle is still unaccounted for, and an investigation is ongoing into its whereabouts. 5 things to know this Thursday, October 19 Police say they worked closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District ...

Ask Amy: Auto lenders are rethinking the terms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:43 GMT

Dear Amy: After a car accident last year, my older brother “Danny” was without a vehicle. (The accident was not his fault, and his car was totaled.)Danny works full time from home, and so he decided not to replace his car and purchased an e-bike, which he uses for local errands.My husband and I have two cars, and rarely need the use of both during any given day. We are planning to sell our “second car” in a few months and want to keep the mileage low.After checking my insurance coverage, I offered my brother the use of my car for times when he might need it.He hasn’t exactly abused this offer, with only six “loans” over the course of a year — but it’s starting to feel uncomfortable.He doesn’t refill the tank before returning it, and I also usually have to prompt him to bring it back.A few weeks ago, he borrowed the car to attend an event 120 miles away. He picked it up on Friday morning and returned it on Monday.I checked the mileage and discovere...

Commissioner Simson discusses electricity market reform and winter preparedness at Energy Council in Luxembourg

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:43 GMT

On 17 October, Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson (pictured), represented the Commission at the meeting of EU energy ministers in Luxembourg.Ministers will continue their work towards a General Approach on the Commission's proposals to reform the EU electricity market. This reform aims to make electricity prices less dependent on volatile fossil fuel prices and to shield consumers from price spikes by accelerating a surge in renewables.At the Council, the Commissioner also informed the ministers about the ongoing work on a political declaration and coalition on energy efficiency financing. Commissioner Simson will also provide ministers with an update regarding the submissions and Commission's assessments of draft updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). These Plans are crucial tools for ensuring that the EU is on track for achieving its 2030 goals for emissions reduction, renewable energy and energy efficiency. The Commissioner will also steer a discussion on winter pr...

Involve the family in new-home plans

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:43 GMT

The process of choosing a new-home community and building a new home comes with a fair dose of joy, hope, excitement and even nervousness. From decisions around home elevations, floor plans and design options to questions of financing and launching life in a new neighborhood, it’s a time of reinvention.For the buyers themselves, it’s invigorating and all-encompassing. But other members of the family may have ideas, questions, needs and concerns that the buyers themselves don’t think about daily.Even if they’re not changing schools, children will still be making adjustments in their lives at the new home. And if the new home does involve a new school, those adjustments can take place smoothly and gradually over the time it takes to build the home.Tell the children as soon as possible after you’ve made a decision. If they’re old enough to have noticed your visits to new-home communities or your conversation about it, they may already suspect you’ve been considering a new home.Give the...

Granderson: U.S. policy basically discourages having kids. Now our economy is paying the price

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:43 GMT

The largest health care strike in U.S. history was called off Thursday as Kaiser Permanente and unions representing 75,000 workers finally reached a tentative agreement. This after a planned three-day work stoppage by the unions gave their employer a preview of what would have been ahead if an impasse continued. Kaiser clearly wasn’t interested in seeing more.It’s good news for America’s workers, who were quick to feel the pinch from record-high inflation but slow to reap the benefits of the record profits that came with it. Since last August we’ve seen 42 work stoppages of at least 1,000 employees across the country, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There’s a theme here, as workers have been squeezed too hard for too long — as if the corporate brain trust thought “The Hunger Games” were a how-to manual.It’s not just that wages have been slow to rise, and it’s not just that housing and food cost increases have outpace...