Here are the latest Top News stories from The Canadian Press. All times are Eastern unless otherwise stated. Coverage plans are included when available. Entries are subject to change as news develops.
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TOP HEADLINES:
Netflix should add more to Canadian culture: feds
Volunteers a lasting legacy of pandemic: B.C. seniors advocate
Feds say Emergencies Act needed to 'hold progress'
Manitoba border blockade ends
Canada's inflation rate rises to 5.1 per cent
Grocery bills climb as food inflation hits 6.5 per cent
Search ends for 12 crew from Spanish boat off N.L.
Study finds potential for universal organs
Hamelin skates into Olympic record books
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NEW TOP STORIES SINCE THE LAST ADVISORY:
Netflix should add more to Canadian culture: feds
Online-Streaming
Ottawa, , -- Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez says streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney and Amazon are "the new big players" and should contribute more to Canadian culture. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Volunteers a lasting legacy of pandemic: B.C. seniors advocate
Seniors-Volunteers
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada -- The advocate for seniors in British Columbia says a rise in volunteer services supporting the elderly has been one of the "brightest lights" throughout the pandemic. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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N.L. to drop COVID-19 measures as of March 14
COVID-NL
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada -- Newfoundland and Labrador will end its COVID-19 restrictions, including mask and vaccination requirements and gathering limits, as of March 14. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Speaker not advised on clerk's benefit: Court told
Legislature-BC-Trial
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- A lawyer who advised British Columbia's former Speaker about a retirement allowance that is the subject of a criminal charge says the name of then-clerk Craig James never came up in those conversations. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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N.S. police arrest dentist over patient assaults
NS-Dentist-Assault
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- Halifax police have arrested a 78-year-old dentist for allegedly assaulting eight patients. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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CONVOY PROTESTS AND THE EMERGENCIES ACT:
Feds say Emergencies Act needed to 'hold progress'
Trucker-Protest
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Liberal cabinet ministers defended the sweeping temporary powers now afforded to police under the Emergencies Act on Wednesday, even as major border blockades they decried for disrupting the economy have already been cleared. By Laura Osman, Stephanie Taylor and Mia Rabson. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Most donors to 'Adopt-a-Trucker' were Canadian
Trucker-Protest-Funding
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- A new data leak shows that about 60 per cent of donors to an "Adopt-a-Trucker" page on the online fundraising platform GiveSendGo were Canadian and 37 per cent were American. By Mike Blanchfield and Jordan Press. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Manitoba border blockade ends
Trucker-Protest-Mba
Emerson, Manitoba, Canada -- Protesters blocking a busy border crossing in southern Manitoba have packed up and traffic is flowing again. Wire: Prairies/BC, National. Photos: 1
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Towing trucks from blockade a massive undertaking
Trucker-Protest-Towing
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada -- Two associations representing the towing industry in Ontario and Alberta say expecting operators to clear blockades under the Emergencies Act is easier said than done. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Banking industry says will implement orders
Trucker-Protest-Banks
Toronto, , -- Canada's banking industry says it will follow through with the federal government's emergency orders targeting the trucker protesters. Wire: Business. Photos: 1
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INFLATION:
Canada's inflation rate rises to 5.1 per cent
StatCan-Inflation
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- The purchasing power of Canadians waned further last month as wages were outpaced by an annual inflation rate that topped five per cent for the first time in more than 30 years. By Jordan Press. Wire: Business. Photos: 1
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Grocery bills climb as food inflation hits 6.5%
Food-Inflation
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Canada's food inflation rate has hit 6.5 per cent, the biggest year-over-year jump in grocery bills in more than a decade. Wire: Business. Photos: 1
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What-flation? A primer on inflation-adjacent words
StatCan-Inflation-Glossary
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- After holding off on an interest rate increase last month, the stage is set for the Bank of Canada to hike in March after the annual inflation rate topped five per cent for the first time in more than 30 years, with prices rising for everything from groceries and gasoline to rental costs and home prices. By Adena Ali. Wire: Business.
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OTHER TOP NEWS:
Search ends for 12 crew from Spanish boat off N.L.
Fishing-Vessel-Search
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- The search for 12 crew members lost after a Spanish fishing boat sank off the coast of Newfoundland Tuesday has been called off as hopes of finding any more survivors dwindle. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Training gap led to police killing: Quebec coroner
Que-Coroner-Coriolan
Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- A Quebec coroner says the fatal shooting by Montreal police of a man in distress highlights a lack of training for officers dealing with people in crisis. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Alaska harvesting depleted B.C. salmon: advocates
Pacific-Salmon-Commission
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- Significant numbers of salmon returning to spawn in British Columbia are being caught in southeast Alaskan fisheries, hindering Canada's efforts to preserve and rebuild stocks that are declining to historic lows, B.C. salmon advocates say. By Brenna Owen. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Alternatives exist for Line 5, report argues
US-Cda-Pipelines
Washington D. C., Washington, D.C., United States -- Viable alternatives to Line 5 already exist if the controversial cross-border pipeline gets shut down, says a new report from an Canadian environmental group looking to bridge the ideological gulf in the public debate over North America's continuing dependence on fossil fuels. By James McCarten. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Police find remains of woman killed by Adam Strong
Ont-Oshawa-Human-Remains
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada -- Police say they've found the remains of a woman who went missing more than a decade ago after a tip from the man convicted of killing her. Wire: Ontario/Quebec.
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King isolating after child positive for COVID-19
COVID-PEI
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada -- The premier of Prince Edward Island is isolating after a member of his family tested positive for COVID-19. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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N.S. paramedics union says higher pay needed
NS-Paramedics-Pay
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- The union for Nova Scotia's paramedics says a pay increase similar to one given to some workers in the long-term care sector would help with ongoing retention issues. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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$875 for N.S. students to pay bills during COVID
COVID-NS
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- Nova Scotia is offering one-time grants of $875 to thousands of post-secondary students to help them pay their bills during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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N.B. nurses call for better working conditions
NB-Nurses-Survey
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada -- The New Brunswick government's lack of effort to recruit and retain nurses has resulted in a labour and health-care crisis, the province's nurses union said Wednesday after releasing the results of a survey of its members. By Kevin Bissett. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Ontario won't cut hydro bills by 12 per cent
Ont-Hydro-Bills
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Ontario's Progressive Conservative government will not fulfill its 2018 election promise to lower electricity bills by 12 per cent. By Allison Jones. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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Ontario docs propose funding new surgical centres
Ont-Health-Backlog
A doctors' group is recommending that Ontario fund a new model for outpatient health-care centres to help tackle a growing backlog of surgeries and other procedures. Wire: Ontario/Quebec.
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Barrick ups dividend, reports US$2.02B 2021 profit
Barrick-Gold-Rslts
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Barrick Gold Corp. raised its dividend as it reported its profit for 2021 fell compared with 2020. Wire: Business. Photos: 1
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Study finds potential for universal organs
Organ-Blood-Type-Study
Elizabeth Ostrander spent two years on an organ transplant wait list, worrying about her oxygen levels any time she left home and wondering if she'd ever get the lungs she needed. By Melissa Couto Zuber. Wire: Lifestyle. Photos: 1
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Duane Lavold, musician known as Custom, dies at 54
OBIT-MUSIC-Duane-Lavold
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Alt-rock raconteur Duane Lavold rattled MTV censors who banned his salacious "Hey Mister" music video from the airwaves, but those closest to the musician say he was a gentle giant who aspired to greater heights than the controversy he drew in the post-Napster era. By David Friend. Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1
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Hamelin skates into Olympic record books
OLY-Canada-Roundup
BEIJING -- Charles Hamelin's final Olympic race was one for the record books. Hamelin, 37, capped off his Olympic career in golden fashion as he helped his teammates win the men's 5,000-metre short-track speedskating relay on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Jennifer Jones's Canadian rink fell 11-9 to China in women's curling, putting her in danger of missing the medal round. . MOVED will be updated.
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LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE STORIES:
The LJI is a federally funded program to add coverage in under-covered areas or on under-covered issues. This content is delivered on the CP wire in the "Y" or spare news category, or you can register to access it at https://lji-ijl.ca. This content is created and submitted by participating publishers and is not edited by The Canadian Press. Please credit stories to the reporter, their media outlet and the Local Journalism Initiative. Questions should be directed to LJI supervising editor Amy Logan at amy.logan@thecanadianpress.com. Below is a sample of the dozens of stories moved daily:
Nova Scotia MPs targeted as political discontent linked to vaccination mandate grows
LJI-NS-MPs-targeted-discontent-vaccine
More than two weeks into the truckers’ vaccine-mandate protest that’s disrupted life in downtown Ottawa and blocked border crossings, Nova Scotia MPs were subjected to comparisons to Nazi Germany and received packages which required police intervention. 1,000 words. Lois Ann Dort/Guysborough Journal
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More possible burial sites located at two former Saskatchewan residential schools
LJI-Sask-GPR-residential-schools-burials
Ground-penetrating radar has uncovered 54 possible burial sites at two former residential schools near Kamsack in southwestern Saskatchewan. Ted Quewezance, project manager of the search and former chief of Keeseekoose First Nation, says the findings would impact not only the people on Keeseekoose First Nation, but also nearby Key and Cote First Nations, whose children also attended those schools. 600 words. Shari Narine/Windspeaker.com
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Manitoba educators cautiously optimistic, students don’t want to get sick
LJI-MAN-VIRUS-SCHOOLS
School leaders are optimistic the latest shuffle of public-health precautions in schools could be one of the last as Manitoba moves towards a new normal after 23 months of COVID-19 disruptions. 750 words. Maggie Macintosh/Winnipeg Free Press
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FROM AP:
The latest AP advisory is unavailable. This is the previous version.
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TOP STORIES
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UKRAINE-TENSIONS — Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity, while the West warned that it saw no sign of a promised pullback of Russian troops from Ukraine’s borders despite Kremlin declarations of a withdrawal. While a feared Russian invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday did not materialize, the United States and its allies maintain that the threat remains strong, with Europe’s security and economic stability in the balance. By Vladimir Isachenkov, Yuras Karmanau and Lorne Cook. SENT: 1,168 words, photos, videos. WITH: UKRAINE-TENSIONS-THINGS-TO-KNOW — Ukraine-Russia crisis: What to know as NATO eyes Russia move. SENT: 1,310 words, photos.
UKRAINE TENSIONS-GAS PRICES —With the risk of Russia invading Ukraine, a foreign policy crisis has collided with one of President Joe Biden’s domestic vulnerabilities: rising gasoline prices. Biden is warning Americans already exhausted by inflation at a 40-year high that gas prices could get higher if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to invade. It’s a recognition of Biden’s own political risks ahead of the 2022 midterm elections: Inflation has become an albatross for Democrats despite the strong economic growth posted last year.. By Joshua Boak. SENT: 925 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CANADA TRUCKERS-BACKERS — The Canadian protests that have blocked major border crossings with the U.S. and gnarled supply chains have been promoted, cheered and funded by American anti-vaccine groups, right-wing activists and conservative elected officials. About 44 percent of the nearly $10 million in donations to a campaign to support the protesters came from U.S. donors, according to an Associated Press analysis of leaked donor files. By Ali Swenson, Michelle R. Smith and Richard Lardner. UPCOMING: 1,280 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS-OUTBREAK-PROTESTS — The last of the truck blockades at the U.S.-Canadian border is moving out. A federal official says the final blockaders are leaving Emerson, Manitoba now and the Canadian Border Services hope to reopen the crossing into North Dakota Wednesday afternoon. SENT: 885 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-STATE-OF-THE-UNION — President Joe Biden hopes to use next month’s State of the Union address to nudge the pandemic into the nation’s rear-view mirror, but there are risks the event could turn out to be another disruptive display of tensions and frustrations over how to move past COVID-19. By Zeke Miller. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos by 4:30 p.m.
MEXICO-AVOCADOS-VIOLENCE — Mexico’s avocado producers have used clever Super Bowl ads, an irresistible fruit and apparently insatiable appetite from U.S. consumers to separate their product from the conflictive landscape that produces it. At least that was the case until a threat to a U.S. agricultural inspector essentially shut down Mexico’s exports last week. By Mark Stevenson. SENT: 1,105 words, photos.
BRAZIL-DEADLY-RAINS — The death toll from devastating mudslides and floods that swept through a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state has reached 58, local authorities said. The city of Petropolis was slammed by a deluge on Tuesday, and Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said the number of dead could rise as searchers pick through the wreckage. Twenty-one people had been recovered alive. By Diarlei Rodrigues and David Biller. SENT: 595 words, photos.
TIBET AND THE OLYMPICS — Ahead of the Beijing summer Olympics 14 years ago, Tibet was on fire. Deadly clashes between Tibetans and security forces in Lhasa made global headlines, and for weeks, monks and herders battled bullets and batons. Today, Tibet has fallen silent, even as the Olympic games come to Beijing for a second time. The reason, interviews with over a dozen Tibetans show, is that Beijing’s plan to tame Tibet is working. Older Tibetans have largely resigned themselves to Chinese rule, while a new generation of young Tibetans is slowly adopting a Chinese identity. By Dake Kang and Sam McNeil. SENT: 1,720 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 1,080 words is also available.
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MORE ON THE OLYMPICS
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OLY-OLYMPIC-RDP — Innovative American freestyle skiers Alex Hall and Nick Goepper landed jaw-dropping tricks on the Secret Garden slopestyle course and won the gold and silver medals in slopestyle at the Beijing Olympics. Hall clinched the gold on the first of three runs when he defied gravity with a trick called “right double 10 pretzel one.” SENT: 970 words, photos.
OLY-FREEZING OUT AFRICA — African representation has shriveled at the Beijing Olympics from a record eight nations in 2018 to just five — and with just half the number of athletes. SENT: 990 words, photos.
OLY--FIG-VALIEVA-OTHER DRUGS — Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva listed two legal substances used to improve heart function on an anti-doping control form she filled out before her drug case at the Olympics erupted. That is according to documents submitted in her case. SENT: 455 words, photos.
OLY-FIG-RAISING THE AGE — The doping case involving Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has led to many more questions than answers. Some skaters think it’s time to ask another: Should a 15-year-old be in the Olympics at all? SENT: 760 words, photos.
OLY-CUR-MAKING THE ICE-EXPLAINER — Curling ice has come a long way in the 600 years since the Scottish began sliding stones across frozen lochs. SENT: 900 words, photos.
OLY-FIG-WOMEN IN PANTS — Just one figure skater in the Beijing Olympics’ marquee women’s event wore pants for her short program performance at Capital Indoor Stadium. SENT: 1,020 words, photo.
OLY-ATHLETES ON OLYMPIC FOOD — Avocado ice cream and boiling hot pots are some of the best foods athletes say they’ve eaten at the Beijing Olympics. SENT: 680 words, photos. With OLYMPIC-FLAIR-PHOTO-GALLERY — Olympic flair on display around the Beijing Games; DAY-11-PHOTO-GALLERY.
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MORE ON UKRAINE
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UKRAINE-RUSSIA-WIDER WAR? — A Russian invasion and takeover of Ukraine would deliver a blow to European order like none since World War II. The chances of it triggering a wider war would depend partly on President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions, partly on the West’s military response, and partly on plain luck. SENT: 820 words, photos.
UKRAINE-TENSIONS-SANCTIONS-EUROPE — It’s not simple for Europe to plan sanctions against Russia in case it invades Ukraine. Sanctions would seek to maximize the pain for the Kremlin, its key banks and energy companies but also avoid jeopardizing the continent’s Russian-dependent energy supplies or inflicting too much damage on European companies with strong ties to Russia. Big European corporate names that do business in Russia include Germany’s Siemens AG, Italian tiremaker Pirelli and automakers like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz. SENT: 1,090 words, photos.
UKRAINE-TENSIONS-RUSSIAN-SARCASM — “Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday.” That’s how a top Russian diplomat brushed off speculation in the West that Russia could invade neighboring Ukraine as soon as Wednesday, Feb. 16. As the U.S. and other NATO members warn of the potential for a devastating war, Russia is not countering with bombs or olive branches -- but with sarcasm. SENT: 515 words, photos.
RUSSIA-BRAZIL — Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro for talks in Moscow and hailed ties between the two countries, which he described as consisting of “friendship and mutual understanding.” SENT: 835 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK — The nation’s leading health officials said that the U.S. is moving closer to the point that COVID-19 is no longer a “constant crisis” as cities, businesses and sports venues around the country eliminated virus restrictions. UPCOMING: 685 words, photos by 3 p.m.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-GERMANY — Germany’s leaders announced plans to end most of the country’s coronavirus restrictions by March 20, a decision that coincided with moves by neighboring Austria and Switzerland to drop many of their curbs sooner. SENT: 480 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VACCINES-AFRICA — German vaccine maker BioNTech, which developed the first widely approved shot against COVID-19 together with Pfizer, unveiled plans to establish manufacturing facilities in Africa that would boost the availability of much-needed medicines on the continent. SENT: 540 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SOUTH KOREA — South Korea will distribute free coronavirus rapid test kits at schools and senior care facilities starting next week as it weathers an unprecedented wave of infections driven by the fast-moving omicron variant. SENT: 600 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-GERMANY — Chancellor Olaf Scholz is conferring with Germany’s 16 state governors to map a way out of coronavirus restrictions as official figures show new infections beginning to drift downward. SENT: 330 words, photos. UPCOMING: Meeting at 8 a.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NETHERLANDS — The Netherlands was inadequately prepared for the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago and the government paid insufficient attention to the threat to people in nursing homes, according to an independent inquiry. SENT: 340 words, photo.
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TRENDING NEWS
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BOB-SAGET — The family of comedian Bob Saget is asking a Florida court to prohibit the release of any photos, video or other records related to the investigation into his death last month. SENT: 450 words, photos.
GAS-TANKER-EXPLOSION — Authorities in New York say a tanker carrying 9,200 gallons of gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island, injuring the truck’s driver and three firefighters who responded. SENT: 455 words, photos, video.
DYING-MANATEES-FLORIDA — The unprecedented human effort to feed starving Florida manatees has so far provided the lovable marine mammals with more than 25 tons of lettuce. SENT: 390 words, photos.
AUSTRALIA-SHARK-ATTACK -- A swimmer on a Sydney beach in Australia has died after being attacked by what witnesses described as a 15-foot great white shark. SENT: 170 words.
BRITAIN-PRINCE-CHARLES -- London police have launched an investigation into allegations that people associated with one of Prince Charles’ charities offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure honors and citizenship in return for donation. SENT: 265 words.
CAMBODIA-ENDANGERED-DOLPHIN -- Wildlife officials say the last known freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin on a stretch of the Mekong River in northeastern Cambodia has died, apparently after getting tangled in a fishing net. SENT: 340 words, photos.
CHICAGO-VIOLENCE — A Chicago man who posted online to urge others to join the massive crowds that were looting downtown businesses in the summer of 2020 has pleaded guilty to inciting and participating in a riot. SENT: 275 words.
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WASHINGTON /POLITICS
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CAPITOL-RIOT-INVESTIGATION -- President Biden is ordering the release of Trump White House visitor logs to the House committee investigating the riot of Jan. 6, 2021, once more rejecting former President Donald Trump’s claims of executive privilege. The committee has sought a trove of data from the National Archives, including presidential records that Trump had fought to keep private. The records being released to Congress are visitor logs showing appointment information for individuals who were allowed to enter the White House on the the day of the insurrection. SENT: 575 words, photos.
ZINKE-INVESTIGATION — Government investigators say former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke misused his position to advance a Montana development project and lied to an agency ethics official about his involvement. The Interior Department’s inspector general said that Zinke continued working on the commercial project even after he committed to breaking ties when he took office. SENT: 485 words, photo.
GRANHOLM-HBCUS — U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is visiting a historically Black university in South Carolina this week to tout what the Biden administration says is a commitment to funding nuclear engineering at such institutions. SENT: 440 words, photos.
ELECTION-2022-INDIANA-CHALLENGE — An Indiana congressman who was rejected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the top Republican for the committee investigating last year’s U.S. Capitol insurrection is fending off an effort to remove his name from this year’s election ballot. The challenge to Rep. Jim Banks’ candidacy is at least the second across the country against a Republican House member citing a portion of a post-Civil War amendment to the U.S. Constitution pertaining to insurrections against the United States. SENT: 545 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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GAS-DRILLING-WATER-POLLUTION — One of the best-known pollution cases ever to emerge from the U.S. drilling and fracking boom has entered a difficult new phase as prosecutors pursue criminal charges against Pennsylvania’s busiest gas driller. The attorney general’s office is pushing for a settlement they say could yield more significant benefits for affected homeowners than a conviction. But the option they recently discussed, water treatment systems, has put them at odds with some in the community of Dimock. UPCOMING: 2,040 words, photos. An abridged version of 985 words is available.
GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICERS-CIVIL RIGHTS — J. Alexander Kueng, one of three Minneapolis police officers charged with federal civil rights violations in George Floyd’s killing, took the stand at their trial. Kueng is the second of the former officers to testify. SENT: 540 words, photos.
AHMAUD ARBERY-HATE CRIMES — Two of the three white men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery repeatedly used racial slurs in text messages and social media posts, an FBI intelligence analyst testified in their federal hate crimes trial. SENT: 440 words, photos.
HIGHER-SPEEDS-TRAIN-DEATHS — Brightline trains killed one person and seriously injured another in separate accidents less than 12 hours apart, the latest in a spate of collisions plaguing the higher-speed passenger trains since the railroad recently resumed operations. SENT: 515 words.
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INTERNATIONAL
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HONDURAS-CORRUPTION — The arrest of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández and the images that followed — a leader shackled and paraded before the cameras like a common criminal — were a stunning reversal for a man who for years seemed impervious to growing allegations of corruption. SENT: 760 words, photos.
REL-ISLAM-FEMALE-RECITERS— Some Muslim women have turned to social media to amplify the voices of female Quran reciters and encourage women to post their recitations online. Across cultures and Muslim communities, attitudes vary toward women publicly reciting the Quran where non-related men can hear. The most skilled female reciters may attain celebrity-like status in some countries. SENT: 1,245 words, photos.
EUROPE-POLAND-HUNGARY — The European Union’s highest court ruled that the 27-nation bloc can suspend support payments to member states if they breach rule of law principles, and dismissed a challenge by Hungary and Poland. SENT: 790 words, photo.
NORTH KOREA-BIRTH ANNIVERSARY — North Korea celebrated the 80th birthday of late leader Kim Jong Il with a concert, fireworks and a rare outdoor ceremony near its border with China, state media reported, as the country pushes for greater public support amid pandemic-related hardships. SENT: 420 words, photos.
PALESTINIANS-HAMAS TV — Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers are producing a new TV series. The 30-episode “Fist of the Free” presents Hamas fighters as scrappy heroes outwitting a better-armed Israeli military. SENT: 790 words, photos.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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RETAIL SALES — Americans picked up the pace of spending in January as the threat of omicron faded and there was some easing of supply shortages. Retail sales surged a seasonally adjusted 3.8% last month, whizzing past the projections of most economists. SENT: 405 words, photos.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks were lower on Wall Street, a day after a broad rally snapped a three-day losing streak. SENT: 510 words, photo.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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OSCARS-TROY-KOTSUR — Troy Kotsur is just the second actor who’s deaf to be nominated for an Academy Award. His performance in the best-picture nominee “CODA” has elevated the 53-year-old Kotsur to Hollywood’s biggest stages while making history for the deaf community. He’s the first deaf actor ever nominated individually for a Screen Actors Guild award. Accepting the Gotham award for best supporting performance, he told the crowd that he wasn’t speechless but “absolutely handless right now.” SENT: 1,360 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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BBO-MLB-SPRING — It’s mid-February, which is usually a fine time of the year to be a baseball fan. Not this year. The usual spring training buzz is missing because of a lockout that’s now extended to 76 days and become the second-longest work stoppage in baseball history. Minor league players are reporting to camp in Arizona and Florida but the big boys won’t be playing until the players and owners can come to a financial compromise. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 4 p.m.
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The Canadian Press
