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Last Canadian kidnapped by Hamas, Judih Weinstein Haggai, declared dead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:55 GMT

The family of the only Canadian citizen who was still missing after Hamas militants conducted a brutal assault on Israel has confirmed her death.A relative says Judih Weinstein Haggai died on Oct. 7, the day of the attacks that killed an estimated 1,200 people, and her body is being held in the Gaza Strip.The 70-year-old woman’s family says she held Canadian, Israeli and American citizenships.Weinstein Haggai was born in New York state but moved to Toronto at the age of three, and moved to Israel 20 years later to live with her husband.She lived in the Nir Oz kibbutz, which sits less than three kilometres from her home, and was a volunteer who helped Palestinians in Gaza.Weinstein Haggai made puppets to help teach students English, and often posted haikus and meditations on YouTube.In an interview earlier this month, Weinstein Haggai’s relatives said she and her husband Gadi Haggai were out on an early-morning walk when the Oct. 7 attacks started.She sent a text message ...

Osisko Mining renews share buyback program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:55 GMT

TORONTO — Osisko Mining Inc. says the Toronto Stock Exchange has approved its plans to renew its normal course share buyback program.Under the terms of the notice, Osisko could acquire up to about 36.5 million common shares through the program.The program runs between Jan. 1, 2024, and Jan. 1, 2025, with a daily maximum purchase of 191,304 shares.Osisko says that as of Dec. 19 it had 370.8 million common shares issued and outstanding.During its 2023 program, Osisko was approved to buy up to 29 million shares and actually bought just under 14 million shares.Companies routinely conduct share buyback programs as a way to return capital to shareholders and to try to boost share price.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:OSK)The Canadian Press

Anti-corruption authorities to investigate Zambia’s foreign minister over cash-counting video

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:55 GMT

LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — Anti-corruption authorities in Zambia said they will investigate after a video posted on social media allegedly showed the foreign minister receiving piles of cash from a Chinese businessman.Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo resigned but denied wrongdoing and said he had stepped down because he didn’t want to cause a distraction for the government. He did not deny he was in the video but said there had been “malicious claims over a business transaction between my private family business and our business partner.”“In due course, we will provide the accurate context,” he said.Kakubo said he would keep his position as a parliament member. The Zambian Anti-Corruption Commission said it would investigate the circumstances surrounding the video.The video shows at least three men counting piles of money neatly stacked on a table, some of it in U.S. dollars and some of it in Zambian kwacha. None of the men’s faces are visible, but they can be heard coun...

Bedard scores 1st overtime goal, powers Blackhawks past Jets 2-1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:55 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Connor Bedard scored his second goal of the game at 2:15 of a frantic overtime, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night.Bedard, who leads NHL rookies in scoring, sent a wrist shot under the glove of Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck for the first OT goal of his career and his 15th of the season as Chicago earned just its second win in eight games.“It was obviously nice to get the winner in overtime,” said Bedard, who recorded his third two-goal game. “I don't know if I thought about it overly, but it feels nice.”Bedard has three goals in his last two games and extended his points streak to five games. The 18-year-old center has three goals and five assists in the span and 14 goals and 32 points in 34 games overall. He is the third-youngest player in NHL history to score his first OT goal. At 18 years, 163 days, he is behind Sidney Crosby (18 years, 101 days), who scored on Nov. 16, 2005, and Jordan Staal (18 years, 153 days), w...

Barnes & Noble in downtown Naperville to close in January

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:55 GMT

NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- After 25 years, the Barnes & Noble location in downtown Naperville is expected to close in the new year, according to the store's social media post. The iconic bookstore is expected to close down and reopen at the Prairie Market Shopping Center in Oswego around Spring 2024. Law firm offering $20 Uber voucher for NYE rides in Chicago area Until the Oswego location opens, readers are encouraged to visit the Bolingbrook location near the 600 block of East Boughton Road and the Oakbrook store in the 200 block of Oakbrook Center. "It has truly been an honor and privilege to be your bookseller in Naperville for the last 25 years. While we're saddened to vacate our current home, we are so excited to stay nearby and in a beautiful new bookstore," the post said.

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:55 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law 50 years ago on Thursday. The law promised to protect endangered plants and animals across the United States, and it passed with bipartisan support. In a statement released by the White House, President Joe Biden said the law has “safeguarded the incredible biodiversity across our Nation, supported the recovery of imperiled species, and conserved the habitats they depend on.”Before the act was signed into law in 1973, federal law did not protect species facing extinction. It allows species to be listed as endangered without consideration for the economic consequences, which some say is controversial.The White House credited the act with preventing 99% of all fish, wildlife, and plants under its protection from going extinct.“Because of these protections, nearly 300 species have avoided extinction—from the American alligator to the bald eagle,” President Biden said in a statement.The Endang...

WATCH: Man makes 'dirt angels' while hiding from Hillsborough County deputies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:55 GMT

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A man running from Florida deputies decided to make his own version of snow angels while hiding out in a dirt pit on Christmas Eve.On Dec. 24, the suspect crashed his car at an intersection in Tampa around 7 p.m., and quickly ran from deputies before they could get his information, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook.The sheriff's office said the driver, identified as 34-year-old Eliezer Armando Reyes Rios, then decided to run away from the crash and into a nearby construction site. Top 10 wackiest ‘Florida Man’ and ‘Florida Woman’ stories of 2023 The department's Aviation Unit ultimately spotted the suspect laying in a dirt pit, where he was observed "perhaps feeling the holiday spirit, making 'Dirt Angels' and making calls on his phone," according to the sheriff's office.A man running from Florida deputies decided to make his own version of snow angels while hiding out in a dirt pit on Christmas Eve. (Hillsborough County ...

WATCH: Man makes 'dirt angels' while hiding from deputies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:55 GMT

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A man running from Florida deputies decided to make his own version of snow angels while hiding out in a dirt pit on Christmas Eve.On Dec. 24, the suspect crashed his car at an intersection in Tampa around 7 p.m., and quickly ran from deputies before they could get his information, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook.The sheriff's office said the driver, identified as 34-year-old Eliezer Armando Reyes Rios, then decided to run away from the crash and into a nearby construction site.The department's Aviation Unit ultimately spotted the suspect laying in a dirt pit, where he was observed "perhaps feeling the holiday spirit, making 'Dirt Angels' and making calls on his phone," according to the sheriff's office.A man running from Florida deputies decided to make his own version of snow angels while hiding out in a dirt pit on Christmas Eve. (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office via Storyful)Moments later, the suspect hopped over ...

Mi Casa Market opening in downtown Troy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:55 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- In 2018, Berlinda Ketcham opened Mi Casa in downtown Troy. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she started serving Spanish food at 72 Congress Street. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Now, Ketcham is expanding by opening Mi Casa Market only a few doors down at 84 Congress Street. The small market will have Spanish grocery items and fresh vegetables, as well as some hot food which'll be different than the food served at Mi Casa."A little bit of everything," said Ketcham. If the market isn't carrying something a customer wants, Ketcham said she may be able to get it if they ask. Albany restaurant closing its doors after two years Ketcham said this is a big project for her and the City of Troy was a big help with preparing to open the market. She hopes to open Mi Casa Market by the end of January."I think it's going to be a very good business for the community," said Ketcham. "It's very exciting." Bakery reloc...

Denver is poised to hit goal of bringing 1,000 homeless people indoors. What comes next in mayor’s strategy?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:55 GMT

Denver is nearing the finish line of Mayor Mike Johnston’s five-month sprint to move 1,000 homeless people off the streets — and with days to go before his self-imposed deadline, he and his team appear poised to pull it off.Just two months ago, Johnston’s mission was very much at risk of failing. Just 168 people had been brought inside as part of the initiative that has defined his short tenure in the mayor’s office. And neighborhoods were pushing back hard against vacant properties tabbed to host homeless micro-communities.Local politics have continued to challenge the mayor, forcing his administration to pivot more strongly to hotels to meet the target of his House 1,000 initiative which came with a target set for the last day of 2023, this Sunday. Johnston also has weathered recent controversy over shifting definitions of what counts toward that 1,000-person target, as local media reported that his office was using looser criteria than originally announced...