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‘I saw our city seized,’ store owner tells trial of ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

OTTAWA — An Ottawa courtroom heard Friday that the city was seized during the “Freedom Convoy” protest last year, as protesters blocked streets and caused public transit to be rerouted away from downtown.The fourth week of the criminal trial for organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber has been dedicated to hearing from Ottawa residents who lived or worked downtown during the protest. On Friday the court heard from the person responsible for rerouting public transit routes and the owner of an upscale boutique in Ottawa’s ByWard Market.“I saw our streets, I saw our city seized and completely overtaken by these so-called protesters,” Chantal Biro told the court.She said there were far fewer customers at her store and a dramatic drop in sales when thousands of protesters arrived in Ottawa early last year to protest COVID-19 public health restrictions.The streets near Biro’s shop were blocked by big-rigs and pickup trucks that blared their horns.She re...

Aimia to raise up to $32.5M in private placement, names new directors and board chair

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

TORONTO — Aimia Inc. has signed a deal to raise up to $32.5 million in a private placement of shares and warrants that will be used to fund operations and support its strategic investment plans.The deal comes as the company faces an unsolicited takeover offer by its largest shareholder. Mithaq Canada Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mithaq Capital SPC, has offered $3.66 per share in a bid to take Aimia private.Under the private placement announced before markets opened Friday, Aimia says it will issue up to 10,475,000 shares together with up to 10,475,000 share purchase warrants. Each share and accompanying warrant will be issued at $3.10 and each warrant will be exercisable at $3.70 per share.In a statement, Mithaq called the deal a “dilutive, unnecessary private placement by a company that has no need for additional cash.”It says the move “is nothing more than an attempt by the Aimia board and management to further entrench themselves and preserve their jobs, r...

Microsoft spent two years trying to buy Activision Blizzard. For Xbox CEO, that was the easy part

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

After two years co-piloting the biggest acquisition in video game history past an onslaught of challenges, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer now moves on to his next quest: making Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard worth the hassle.Microsoft, which owns the Xbox gaming system, closed its $69 billion deal to buy game-maker Activision Blizzard on Friday after fending off global opposition from antitrust regulators and rivals.It marks a career-defining moment for Spencer, who first joined Microsoft as an intern in 1988 and has helmed Xbox since 2014. After years of lagging behind rival Sony’s PlayStation, acquiring Activision’s collection of popular game titles gives Microsoft a rare chance to catch up. “His job really just starts today,” said analyst Gil Luria, technology strategist at D.A. Davidson, after the deal’s closure. “All he’s been doing is preparing for today where he actually gets to integrate the business.”And it marks the end of an era for Activision Blizza...

New Zealanders vote in general election, with polls indicating they favor a conservative change

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealanders began voting Saturday in a general election, with opinion polls indicating they favor a conservative change after six years of a liberal government led for most of that time by Jacinda Ardern.Ardern unexpectedly stepped down in January, saying she no longer had “enough in the tank” to do the job justice. She won the last election in a landslide, but her popularity waned as people tired of COVID-19 restrictions and inflation threatened the economy.Her departure left Chris Hipkins, 45, to take over as prime minister. He had previously served as education minister and led the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Polling indicates his conservative rival, former businessman Christopher Luxon, remains in the best position to become the nation’s next prime minister when voting closes Saturday night.Under New Zealand’s proportional voting system, Luxon, 53, and his National Party will likely need to form an alliance with other parties to command ...

Quebec plans to double university tuition for out-of-province students by 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

MONTREAL — Quebec is doubling tuition for out-of-province students, more than half of whom come from Ontario, saying taxpayers shouldn’t subsidize English-speaking people who leave after graduating.Tuition for Canadians outside Quebec will jump to $17,000 from $8,992, Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry announced Friday. She said the government will charge universities $20,000 for each international student they recruit and direct that money only to francophone universities.The impact of the measures are expected to hit Quebec’s three English universities hardest as they have far more international and out-of-province students compared to the French institutions. Two are located in Montreal — McGill University and Concordia University — while the third, Bishop’s University, is in Lennoxville, Que., east of Montreal.The new rate of $17,000 per year is closer to what it costs the Quebec state to educate a university student, Déry said, adding that most out-of-prov...

Mixed results on Wall St. and modest TSX loss amid oil price jump and tech weakness

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index stepped lower Friday as broad-based weakness led by technology, battery metals and utilities outweighed energy gains, while U.S. markets were mixed amid losses in technology. Markets mainly declined throughout the day as the Nasdaq led the way down, losing 1.23 per cent Friday. “If you look at who’s leading things down, it’s chipmakers, it’s Microsoft. Businesses that benefited earlier this year from some of the AI optimism,” said Kevin Burkett, portfolio manager at Victoria-based Burkett Asset Management.The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 37.38 points at 19,462.86.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 39.15 points at 33,670.29. The S&P 500 index was down 21.83 points at 4,327.78, while the Nasdaq composite was down 166.99 points at 13,407.23.Microsoft Corp. shares fell more than one per cent to close out the trading day, while chipmaker Nvidia Corp. lost more than three per cent.   “I would describe today’s...

First hospital in Ontario providing areola tattooing by physician

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

Areola tattooing can be an important part of breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, and for the first time in Ontario, one hospital in Halton Region will be providing the service performed by a physician.Dr. Alexandra Ginty, the Regional Primary Care Lead for Mississauga Halton Central West Regional Cancer Program, is a breast cancer survivor and an artist. She has undergone extensive training to gain a certification in this specialty and become the first physician in the region to be certified.“I just knew if there was someone who could do this, it would be me. But it was really hard getting someone to teach me, to believe in me being a tattooist and take me on a journey that was 200 hours of training,” Dr. Ginty explained to CityNews. “It’s a really interesting journey because art therapy became the way that I psychologically healed from my cancer. And I got back into art again.”Dr. Ginty explains that the procedure replicates a natural areola usin...

Best Buy to stop selling DVD, Blu-ray discs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Best Buy is saying goodbye to movie-watching with physical discs.The consumer electronics retailer plans to phase out its DVD and Blu-ray sales by early 2024 — with physical movies set to be sold in-store and online as they are today through the holidays, Best Buy confirmed to The Associated Press Friday. Video games will not be impacted.“To state the obvious, the way we watch movies and TV shows is much different today than it was decades ago," the company said in an emailed statement. "Making this change gives us more space and opportunity to bring customers new and innovative tech for them to explore, discover and enjoy.” Are your old CDs worth anything to collectors? Best Buy isn't the only company to start moving away from physical media in recent months. Last month, Netflix's DVD-by-mail service, for example, officially came to a close as the company's iconic red-and-white envelopes made their final trip.Speculation about the fate of Best Buy's phys...

NYC council member had gun at pro-Palestinian rally: NYPD

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York City Council member Inna Vernikov was arrested Thursday after pictures posted online showed she had a gun during a pro-Palestinian rally at Brooklyn College, according to the NYPD.Vernikov, a Republican who represents the 48th District, was charged with criminal possession of a firearm. Photos posted online show the but-end of a gun sticking out from her pants, according to the NYPD. No credible threats; security heightened in NYC ahead of ‘Day of Protest’: NYPD The pro-Israel councilwoman spoke with PIX11 News during the rally, however, a gun was not visible on her person at that time.Vernikov, accompanied by her attorney, turned herself in at the 70th Precinct and was released after she was charged. Both her firearm, which she is licensed to own, and her permit license were surrendered, police said.Vernikov was charged because she was on school grounds in a "sensitive location" during a protest, a police source said. Under New York law, licensed gun o...

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold rallies across NYC on 'Day of Protest'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) – Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Times Square Friday after the former leader of Hamas called for Muslims to rally in support of the militant group as its war with Israel entered its seventh day.Khaled Meshaal, who led Hamas until 2017, called for mass protests around the world in a recorded statement sent to Reuters.“[We must] head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday,” Meshaal said.He went on to say, in part, “To all scholars who teach jihad for the sake of God and who preach the fighters and martyrs, to all who teach and learn, this is a moment of application [of theories], so that words are not just words.”Earlier on Friday, a "CUNY rally and march for Palestine" was held at Baruch College. Protesters then marched to Times Square to join the "International Day of Action for Palestine." The NYPD increased security in the city due to the protests. There are no credibl...