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New York drivers could face license suspensions over vision tests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:46:01 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York drivers who renewed their licenses during part of the coronavirus pandemic face license suspensions on Friday if they don’t submit vision tests, the state Department of Motor Vehicles warned. Nearly 51,000 drivers statewide could have their licenses suspended, according to Newsday. The DMV urged drivers to submit the tests by Dec. 1 to avoid ramifications. Suspensions would affect drivers whose licenses expired between March 1, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2021, according to the DMV.A pandemic-era rule allowed drivers to renew their licenses online by temporarily self-certifying their vision test requirement as most DMV offices attempted to limit crowds. Drivers were still required to eventually submit the tests. People can take a vision test from a state-approved location or submit a vision test report form. The state-approved sites and the form are available on the DMV’s website. Driving with a suspended license in New York can result in a ticket or ...

Michigan police arrest 12-year-old boy after youth drives away on forklift, officers follow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:46:01 GMT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Police in Michigan have arrested a 12-year-old boy who they said led them on a chase in a stolen forklift.Police were called to Forsythe Middle School at about 6:45 p.m. Saturday on a report of a stolen forklift, MLive.com reported. Officers found the forklift heading south through the city and gave chase at speeds between 15 and 20 mph (24 and 32 kph).The driver, later identified as a 12-year-old Ann Arbor boy, finally stopped the forklift and was taken into custody at about 8 p.m.Police later discovered the forklift had been left unlocked with a key hidden in the cab.No one was hurt in the incident.The Associated Press

CIB provides $52M loan for Thompson Regional Airport redevelopment in Manitoba

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:46:01 GMT

THOMPSON, Man. — The Canada Infrastructure Bank has signed a deal to lend $52 million to help pay for the redevelopment of Manitoba’s Thompson Regional Airport including the replacement of the terminal building which is sinking into the permafrost.CIB says that without the financing and other government support, the existing airport terminal building would eventually be inoperable.The airport provides passenger and cargo services to those in northern Manitoba and western Nunavut.It covers 37 northern communities, including 15 remote Indigenous communities only accessible by air and ice roads.The redevelopment plan includes the extension of sewer lines from the new terminal, parking lots and service roads.It will also see the construction of new apron and taxiways and the expansion of existing apron and related infrastructure.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2023.The Canadian Press

Burkina Faso’s state media says hundreds of rebels have been killed trying to seize vulnerable town

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:46:01 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Hundreds of rebels were killed as they tried to seize a town in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday, the state broadcaster reported, in one of the largest clashes in recent years in the West African nation under threat from fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State.More than 3,000 fighters tried to take control of Djibo town near Mali’s border, the broadcaster said Tuesday. It was not immediately clear how many civilians or security forces were killed. The area has frequent internet cuts, and the military government is known to crack down on civil society.French medical group Doctors Without Borders said it treated locals injured in the attack.Approximately half of Burkina Faso is outside government control. The landlocked country has been ravaged by jihadi attacks. Fighters have killed thousands and displaced more than 2 million people, further threatening the stability of the country that had two coups last year.Located 210 kilometres (130 miles) from the...

Ottawa was always flexible on clean-energy rules, despite Alberta concerns: Wilkinson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:46:01 GMT

Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government is open to extending the deadline for existing natural gas plants to operate without emissions-trapping technology.He says that negotiation was underway before Alberta Premier Danielle Smith moved yesterday to invoke her new Sovereignty Act, which she says allows the province to opt out of the proposed clean-electricity regulations.Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the act is a symbolic political gesture with no basis in law or Canada’s Constitution.And Wilkinson says he is baffled by the whole thing, because Ottawa has made clear that it understands province’s concerns about how some newer gas plants might end up as stranded assets if the regulations aren’t adjusted.The draft regulations were tabled in the summer and require any power plant that creates greenhouse-gas emissions to either close or install emissions abatement by 2035.But gas plants that are built and begin operating before 2025...

Energy stocks help lift S&P/TSX composite in late-morning trading

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:46:01 GMT

TORONTO — Strength in the energy stocks helped lift Canada’s main stock index higher in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets also rose.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 28.19 points at 20,060.85.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 127.65 points at 35,461.12. The S&P 500 index was up 8.43 points at 4,558.86, while the Nasdaq composite was up 24.51 points at 14,265.53.The Canadian dollar traded for 73.69 cents US compared with 73.34 cents US on Monday.The January crude oil contract was up US$1.96 at US$76.82 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.93 per mmBTU.The February gold contract was up US$20.60 at US$2,053.60 an ounce and the March copper contract was up five cents at US$3.85 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) The Canadian Press

Elderly man in critical condition after being struck by vehicle in North York

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:46:01 GMT

An elderly man is fighting for his life in hospital after being struck by a vehicle in North York on Tuesday morning.Emergency crews responded to the intersection of Keele Street and Lawrence Avenue around 10:50 a.m. for reports of a crash involving a pedestrian.Paramedics confirm a man in his 80s was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.Police say the driver involved remained scene.Motorists are being warned of delays in the area and are being asked to consider alternate routes.This is a developing story. More to come.

Ransomware attack prompts multistate hospital chain to divert some emergency room patients elsewhere

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:46:01 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A ransomware attack has prompted a health care chain that operates 30 hospitals in six states to divert patients from at least some of its emergency rooms to other hospitals, while putting certain elective procedures on pause, the company announced.In a statement Monday, Ardent Health Services said the attack occurred Nov. 23 and the company took its network offline, suspending user access to its information technology applications, including the software used to document patient care.The Nashville, Tennessee-based company said it cannot yet confirm the extent of any patient health or financial information that has been compromised. Ardent says it reported the issue to law enforcement and retained third-party forensic and threat intelligence advisors, while working with cybersecurity specialists to restore IT functions as quickly as possible. There’s no timeline yet on when the problems will be resolved.Ardent owns and operates 30 hospitals and more tha...

Online streamers should direct 2% of Canadian revenues to local content: Rogers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:46:01 GMT

GATINEAU, Que. — Rogers Communications Inc. says online streaming giants should be forced to contribute two per cent of their annual Canadian revenues to support Canadian and Indigenous content.The Toronto-based media and telecommunications company told a CRTC panel Tuesday that some of those funds collected from streamers like Netflix and YouTube should be directed to a temporary news fund to help subsidize private TV and radio news stations.Rogers senior vice-president of regulatory affairs Dean Shaikh says the company is losing subscribers to online streamers and wants more flexibility to compete with them.The company’s presentation came amid the second week of the federal regulator’s public consultations in response to Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, which received royal assent in April.The commission is exploring whether streaming services should be asked to make an initial contribution to the Canadian content system and if this would help level the playing fie...

Human remains discovered in wooded area in Bowmanville, investigation underway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:46:01 GMT

Human remains have been discovered in a wooded area in Bowmanville, Durham Regional Police confirmed on Tuesday morning.The remains were found near Simpson Avenue and Baseline Road.There’s currently a heavy police presence in the area.No further details are currently available.More to come