Social Studies Grade 12

Please review each article prior to use: grade-level applicability and curricular alignment might not be obvious from the headline alone.

Saskatchewan lays charges in wildfires while 1,000 more flee in Manitoba

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Saskatchewan lays charges in wildfires while 1,000 more flee in Manitoba

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Prairie wildfires developed on two fronts Friday, as 1,000 more Manitoba residents were forced to flee their homes and Saskatchewan RCMP charged two people with starting blazes.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told a news conference that one charge relates to starting a fire near La Ronge, which has forced 7,000 people from the area.

“The RCMP have informed us that they have now charged a couple of individuals,” Moe said.

An 18-year-old woman from Montreal Lake Cree Nation and a 36-year-old man from Pelican Narrows each face one count of arson, said RCMP.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

A reception centre for evacuees of the wildfires in northern Manitoba is being staffed by provincial Emergency Social Services, and the Canadian Red Cross at the Billy Mosienko Arena in Winnipeg, Thursday, May 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski

A reception centre for evacuees of the wildfires in northern Manitoba is being staffed by provincial Emergency Social Services, and the Canadian Red Cross at the Billy Mosienko Arena in Winnipeg, Thursday, May 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski

Greece threatens rejected asylum seekers with jail under tougher new migration policy

Derek Gatopoulos, The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece will end mass legalization programs for migrants and jail those awaiting deportation under tougher policies set to take effect this summer, Migration Minister Makis Voridis said Friday.

Migrants with rejected asylum claims will face a minimum of two years in jail, with sentences commuted upon deportation, he said.

The plans, outlined by Greece’s conservative government — and closely watched by other European Union member states — were discussed at a Cabinet meeting this week. The European Union has pledged to make deportations a priority in 2025 and finalize common rules across the 27-nation bloc.

According to the European Commission, about 80% of deportation orders across member states are not carried out. Voridis said the rate is even higher in Greece and urged the EU to set clearer criteria for legal residence.

Georgia detains second opposition leader within days as ruling party faces more protests

Associated Press, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Georgia detains second opposition leader within days as ruling party faces more protests

Associated Press, The Associated Press 3 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgian police on Friday detained a second opposition leader within days as protests continue in the South Caucasus country against the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Lawyers for Nika Melia, one of the figureheads for Georgia's pro-Western Coalition for Change, said his car was stopped by police on Thursday. Soon after, he was bundled away by a large group of people in civilian clothing.

According to Georgia’s interior ministry, Melia has been detained on charges of verbally insulting a law enforcement officer.

The arrest came a week after that of Zurab Japaridze, another leader of the pro-Western, liberal coalition of parties that support European Union integration and want a restoration of democratic standards.

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Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

Nika Melia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change opposition group, charged with failing to appear before the Georgian parliament's temporary investigative commission, attends a court hearing in Tbilisi, Georgia on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Irakli Gedenidze/Pool Photo via AP)

Nika Melia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change opposition group, charged with failing to appear before the Georgian parliament's temporary investigative commission, attends a court hearing in Tbilisi, Georgia on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Irakli Gedenidze/Pool Photo via AP)

Hamas says it is still reviewing a US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire

Abdel Kareem Hana And Bassem Mroue, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Hamas says it is still reviewing a US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire

Abdel Kareem Hana And Bassem Mroue, The Associated Press 5 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas said Friday it was still reviewing a U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where 27 people were killed in new Israeli airstrikes, according to hospital officials.

The ceasefire plan, which has been approved by Israeli officials, won a cool initial reaction Thursday from the militant group. But President Donald Trump said Friday negotiators were nearing a deal.

“They’re very close to an agreement on Gaza, and we’ll let you know about it during the day or maybe tomorrow,” Trump told reporters in Washington. Late in the evening, asked if he was confident Hamas would approve the deal, he told reporters: “They’re in a big mess. I think they want to get out of it.”

U.S. negotiators have not publicized the terms of the proposal. But a Hamas official and an Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Thursday that it called for a 60-day pause in fighting, guarantees of serious negotiations leading to a long-term truce and assurances that Israel will not resume hostilities after the release of hostages, as it did in March.

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Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

A Palestinian boy, injured following an Israeli airstrike, is brought for treatment to the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A Palestinian boy, injured following an Israeli airstrike, is brought for treatment to the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Olympic boxing champ Imane Khelif must undergo genetic sex screening to fight for new governing body

Greg Beacham, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Olympic boxing champ Imane Khelif must undergo genetic sex screening to fight for new governing body

Greg Beacham, The Associated Press 4 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif must undergo genetic sex screening to participate in upcoming events with the sport's new governing body.

World Boxing announced mandatory sex testing for all athletes Friday. The governing body specifically mentioned Khelif when announcing the policy, saying the Algerian gold medal winner must be screened before she will be approved to fight at any upcoming events, including the Eindhoven Box Cup next month in the Netherlands.

“The introduction of mandatory testing will be part of a new policy on ‘Sex, Age and Weight’ to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women,” World Boxing wrote in a statement. The fighters' national federations will be responsible for administering the tests and providing the results to World Boxing.

Khelif won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer amid international scrutiny on her and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, another gold medal winner. The previous governing body for Olympic boxing, the Russian-dominated International Boxing Association, disqualified both fighters from its 2023 world championships after claiming they had failed an unspecified eligibility test.

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Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Algeria's Imane Khelif poses after defeating China's Yang Liu to win gold in their women's 66 kg final boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

Algeria's Imane Khelif poses after defeating China's Yang Liu to win gold in their women's 66 kg final boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

Teen girl found guilty of manslaughter in attack on homeless Toronto man

Sonja Puzic, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Teen girl found guilty of manslaughter in attack on homeless Toronto man

Sonja Puzic, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Thursday, Jun. 5, 2025

TORONTO - One of the teen girls accused in the fatal swarming attack on a homeless Toronto man has been found not guilty of second-degree murder, but guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. 

Ontario Superior Court Justice Philip Campbell said it wasn't proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the girl dealt the fatal blow to Kenneth Lee, or had the state of mind required for murder during the 2022 attack.

"This was a manslaughter, and was very close to the most serious example of that offence, but it was not a murder," he said Friday as he delivered the verdict. 

The girl, who was 14 at the time of the attack, had tried to plead guilty to manslaughter at the start of her murder trial, but the Crown rejected that plea. 

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Thursday, Jun. 5, 2025

Kenneth Lee is shown in a Toronto Police Service handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Toronto Police Service **MANDATORY CREDIT**

Kenneth Lee is shown in a Toronto Police Service handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Toronto Police Service **MANDATORY CREDIT**

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyers say ex-assistant’s social media posts undercut her rape allegation

Michael R. Sisak And Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyers say ex-assistant’s social media posts undercut her rape allegation

Michael R. Sisak And Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs ' lawyers confronted his rape-alleging former personal assistant on Friday with her social media posts praising the hip-hop mogul as a mentor, “my brother” and “friend for life” for years after she says he assaulted her.

Defense attorney Brian Steel quizzed the woman about some of the dozens of posts she made about Combs in the wake of the alleged rape, portraying the warm messages as contradictory to her claims that working for him was often toxic and terrifying.

The woman, testifying under the pseudonym “Mia" for a second day at Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial, read some of the messages aloud as they were displayed for jurors.

Mia told the jury that the posts were a facade: “Instagram was a place to show how great your life was, even if it was not true.”

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Assistant US Attorney Madison Smyser, center, asks Special Agent Gerard Gannon, far right, to stand and show the jury the high heeled platform red shoes found along with fire arms during a search of Combs' Star Island residence during Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan federal court, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

Assistant US Attorney Madison Smyser, center, asks Special Agent Gerard Gannon, far right, to stand and show the jury the high heeled platform red shoes found along with fire arms during a search of Combs' Star Island residence during Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan federal court, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

A Palestinian describes 15 minutes of terror trying to get food in the new Gaza distribution system

Mohammed Jahjouh And Sarah El Deeb, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

A Palestinian describes 15 minutes of terror trying to get food in the new Gaza distribution system

Mohammed Jahjouh And Sarah El Deeb, The Associated Press 6 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Shehada Hijazi woke at dawn. It was his best chance, he thought, to get his hands on a package of food at a new distribution site run by a U.S.- and Israeli-backed foundation in the Gaza Strip. Thousands of others, equally desperate to feed their hungry families, had the same idea.

By the time Hijazi walked the 7 kilometers (4 miles) to the southern tip of the territory, a militarized zone that has been evacuated of its residents, it was chaos. People pushed and shoved for hours as they restlessly waited outside the site, surrounded by a barbed-wire fence, earth berms and checkpoints. When it opened, the crowd charged, rushing toward hundreds of boxes left stacked on the ground on wooden pallets.

Hijazi described what he called 15 minutes of terror Thursday at the center run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the private contractor that Israel says will replace the U.N. in feeding Gaza's more than 2 million people.

Israeli soldiers opened fire in an attempt to control the crowd, he and other witnesses said. His 23-year-old cousin was shot in the foot. They quickly abandoned hope of getting any food and ran for their lives.

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Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

Palestinians carry boxes and bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization approved by Israel, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 29, 2025.(AP Photo/Mariam Dagga)

Palestinians carry boxes and bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization approved by Israel, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 29, 2025.(AP Photo/Mariam Dagga)

Colorado’s governor vetoes landmark ban on rent-setting algorithms

R.j. Rico, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Colorado’s governor vetoes landmark ban on rent-setting algorithms

R.j. Rico, The Associated Press 4 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis has vetoed a bill that would have made Colorado the first state to ban landlords from using rent-setting algorithms, which many advocates have blamed for driving up housing costs across the country.

RealPage is the target of a federal lawsuit filed last year that accuses the real estate software company of facilitating an illegal scheme to help landlords coordinate to hike rental prices. Eight other states, including Colorado, have joined the Department of Justice's lawsuit, though RealPage has vehemently denied any claims of collusion and has fought to have the lawsuit dismissed.

Critics say RealPage software combines confidential information from each real estate management company in ways that enable landlords to align prices and avoid competition that would otherwise push down rents. RealPage’s clients include huge landlords who collectively oversee millions of units across the U.S.

The Colorado bill, which recently passed the Democratic-led Legislature along party lines, would have prevented the use of such algorithms.

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

FILE - Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks during the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks during the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

3rd suspect arrested in connection with death of a Super Bowl reporter in New Orleans

Sara Cline, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

3rd suspect arrested in connection with death of a Super Bowl reporter in New Orleans

Sara Cline, The Associated Press 2 minute read Thursday, Jun. 5, 2025

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A third person has been charged in connection to the death of a television reporter who had traveled to New Orleans to cover the Super Bowl earlier this year.

Christian Anderson, 33, of New Orleans, was arrested for his alleged role in a recurring scheme that police say involved targeting victims, drugging them and robbing them.

Among those alleged victims was Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old reporter and anchor for Telemundo based in Kansas City, Missouri. Manzano was found dead Feb. 5 in his hotel room in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner.

Manzano's death came a year after his wife died in a car accident. The couple leaves behind a toddler daughter.

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Thursday, Jun. 5, 2025

FILE - This photo provided by Telemundo Kansas City shows television reporter Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old anchor and reporter for Telemundo in Kansas City, Missouri, who was found dead in his hotel room in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner during Super Bowl week. (Telemundo Kansas City via AP, File)

FILE - This photo provided by Telemundo Kansas City shows television reporter Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old anchor and reporter for Telemundo in Kansas City, Missouri, who was found dead in his hotel room in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner during Super Bowl week. (Telemundo Kansas City via AP, File)

Nova Scotia NDP says province too secretive, must release environmental racism report

Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Nova Scotia NDP says province too secretive, must release environmental racism report

Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia’s Opposition NDP called on Premier Tim Houston's government Friday to release a report about the province's long history of environmental racism, saying it’s a matter of accountability.

An eight-member panel was expected to submit its report to Houston's government in December 2023.

Justice Minister Becky Druhan, who is also responsible for the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism, did not answer Thursday when pressed by reporters to explain why the government is sitting on the report.

Druhan also wouldn’t answer when asked whether she had seen the panel’s recommendations, saying its work predated her appointment as minister.

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Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender speaks to reporters at the provincial legislature in Halifax, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender speaks to reporters at the provincial legislature in Halifax, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

Bloodhounds hunting ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ fugitive are seen as key part of manhunt

Jeff Martin, Andrew Demillo And Safiyah Riddle, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Bloodhounds hunting ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ fugitive are seen as key part of manhunt

Jeff Martin, Andrew Demillo And Safiyah Riddle, The Associated Press 6 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

A bloodhound picked up the scent shortly after the “ Devil in the Ozarks ” escaped from a lockup in northern Arkansas. The hound didn't have to go far to begin the hunt — it lives at the prison as part of a specialized unit that uses man's best friend to help track fugitives.

Although the scent of convicted killer Grant Hardin was lost because of heavy rain, experts say that even days after Sunday's escape, the animal's highly developed sense of smell can still pick up a fresh trail.

That’s partly due to about 300 million cells in their nose that supercharges their sense of smell, said Terri Heck, a Bloodhound handler and trainer who works with the Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney’s Office.

They’ve got wide nostrils to scoop up smells, and their long ears often work to stir up scents as they drag along the ground. Even their drool plays a role, as that wetness wakes up scents, Heck said.

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Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Police set up checkpoints looking for escaped prisoner Grant Hardin, Thursday, May 29, 2025, near downtown Calico Rock, Ark. (AP Photo/Nicholas Ingram)

Police set up checkpoints looking for escaped prisoner Grant Hardin, Thursday, May 29, 2025, near downtown Calico Rock, Ark. (AP Photo/Nicholas Ingram)

Wisconsin Elections Commission votes to let small communities hand count ballots

Scott Bauer, The Associated Press 2 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 4, 2025

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin communities with fewer than 7,500 people can hand count ballots under a decision by the state elections commission this week.

However, under the Wisconsin Elections Commission decision, those communities and all other Wisconsin towns, villages and cities must still comply with federal law and provide at least one electronic voting machine at a polling location to accommodate voters with disabilities.

The commission's decision Tuesday came in reaction to a complaint against the northwestern Wisconsin town of Thornapple, population about 700, over its decision to hand count ballots in the April 2024 presidential primary or the August state primary. The decision also comes as a federal lawsuit over Thornapple's decision not to have an accessible voting machine continues.

A federal judge in October sided with the U.S. Department of Justice and ruled Thornapple was violating 2002's Help America Vote Act, or HAVA. The judge ordered the town to offer disabled people accessible voting machines. An appeal by the town is pending.

Supreme Court lets Trump end legal protections for 500,000 migrants, exposing more to deportation

Lindsay Whitehurst, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Supreme Court lets Trump end legal protections for 500,000 migrants, exposing more to deportation

Lindsay Whitehurst, The Associated Press 5 minute read Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday again cleared the way for the Trump administration to strip temporary legal protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants for now, pushing the total number of people who could be newly exposed to deportation to nearly 1 million.

The justices lifted a lower-court order that kept humanitarian parole protections in place for more than 500,000 migrants from four countries: Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The decision comes after the court allowed the administration to revoke temporary legal status from about 350,000 Venezuelan migrants in another case.

The court did not explain its reasoning in the brief order, as is typical on its emergency docket. Two justices publicly dissented.

The administration filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court after a federal judge in Boston blocked the administration’s push to end the program. The Justice Department argues that the protections for people fleeing turmoil in their home countries were always meant to be temporary, and the Department of Homeland Security has the power to revoke them without court interference.

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Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

FILE - Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Canada international Achini Perera takes to the street for Cricket to Conquer Cancer

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Canada international Achini Perera takes to the street for Cricket to Conquer Cancer

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

TORONTO - Achini Perera gets to tick a few boxes Saturday, playing cricket and helping raise money for a good cause.

The Canadian international cricketer is taking part in the inaugural Cricket to Conquer Cancer, a street cricket fundraiser for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

More than 40 teams will be participating at Celebration Square in suburban Mississauga, Ont., with celebrities including singer Jully Black, former soccer star Dwayne De Rosario and former Raptor Jamaal Magloire and West Indies cricketer Carlos Brathwaite.

Like many taking part, Brathwaite has a personal connection to the cause. His mother is a cancer survivor.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Canadian cricketer Achini Perera (26) is shown in action at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier, which ran March 10-17, 2025, in Buenos Aires, where the Canadian women finished runner-up to the U.S. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO — International Cricket Council (ICC) *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Canadian cricketer Achini Perera (26) is shown in action at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier, which ran March 10-17, 2025, in Buenos Aires, where the Canadian women finished runner-up to the U.S. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO — International Cricket Council (ICC) *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Mother of jailed Egyptian democracy activist hospitalized after resuming hunger strike

Associated Press, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Mother of jailed Egyptian democracy activist hospitalized after resuming hunger strike

Associated Press, The Associated Press 3 minute read Monday, Oct. 13, 2025

LONDON (AP) — The mother of a pro-democracy activist imprisoned in Egypt is seriously ill in a London hospital after resuming a hunger strike aimed at pressing for her son’s release, her family said Friday.

Laila Soueif was admitted to St Thomas’s Hospital on Thursday night with dangerously low blood sugar levels.

“A couple of hours ago I thought we were going to lose her,” her daughter, Sanaa Souief, said outside the hospital. “The bottom line is, we’re losing her.”

She added: “(Prime Minister) Keir Starmer needs to act now. Not tomorrow, not Monday, but right now.”

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Monday, Oct. 13, 2025

FILE - Laila Soueif, who has been on hunger strike for more than 129 days seeking the release of her son Alaa Abdel Fattah from prison in Egypt, sits outside Downing Street in London, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Laila Soueif, who has been on hunger strike for more than 129 days seeking the release of her son Alaa Abdel Fattah from prison in Egypt, sits outside Downing Street in London, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

Syria’s only female minister says lifting of economic sanctions offers hope for recovery

Ghaith Alsayed, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Syria’s only female minister says lifting of economic sanctions offers hope for recovery

Ghaith Alsayed, The Associated Press 5 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025

DAMASCUS (AP) — The lifting of economic sanctions on Syria will allow the government to begin work on daunting tasks that include fighting corruption and bringing millions of refugees home, Hind Kabawat, the minister of social affairs and labor, told The Associated Press on Friday.

Kabawat is the only woman and the only Christian in the 23-member cabinet formed in March to steer the country during a transitional period after the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in a rebel offensive in December. Her portfolio will be one of the most important as the country begins rebuilding after nearly 14 years of civil war.

She said moves by the U.S. and the European Union in the past week to at least temporarily lift most of the sanctions that had been imposed on Syria over decades will allow that work to get started.

Before, she said, “we would talk, we would make plans, but nothing could happen on the ground because sanctions were holding everything up and restricting our work.” With the lifting of sanctions they can now move to “implementation.”

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Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025

Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

A suspected drone attack on a hospital in Sudan kills 6, activists say

The Associated Press 2 minute read Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

CAIRO (AP) — A suspected drone attack by Sudanese paramilitaries Friday hit a hospital in southern Sudan, killing at least six people and knocking the facility out of service, officials and rights advocates said.

The Emergency Lawyers, a rights group, blamed the Rapid Support Forces for the attack on the Obeid International Hospital, al-Dhaman, in Obeid, the capital city of North Kordofan province. At least 15 others were wounded in the attack, it said.

In a statement on social media, the hospital said the attack resulted in severe damage to its main building. Services at the hospital, the main medical facility serving the region, were suspended until further notice, it said.

Sudan plunged into civil war on April 15, 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare in the capital Khartoum and other parts of the country.

US inflation gauge cools with little sign of tariff impact, so far

Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

US inflation gauge cools with little sign of tariff impact, so far

Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key U.S. inflation gauge slowed last month as President Donald Trump’s tariffs have yet to noticeably push up prices. Spending by Americans slowed despite rising incomes, potentially an early reaction to higher prices on some imported goods.

Friday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that consumer prices rose just 2.1% in April compared with a year earlier, down from 2.3% in March and the lowest since September. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.5% from a year earlier, below the March figure of 2.7%, and the lowest in more than four years. Economists track core prices because they typically provide a better read on where inflation is headed.

The figures show inflation is still declining from its post-pandemic spike, which reached the highest level in four decades in July 2022. Economists and some business executives have warned that prices will likely head higher as Trump’s widespread tariffs take effect, though the timing and impact of those duties are now in doubt after they were struck down late Wednesday in court.

On a monthly basis, overall prices and core prices both increased just 0.1% from March to April. The cost of big-ticket manufactured goods rose a hefty 0.5%, though that increase was offset by a 0.1 decline in other goods, such as groceries. The cost of services rose just 0.1% from March to April.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

A shopper surveys goods on display in a Costco warehouse Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Lone Tree, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

A shopper surveys goods on display in a Costco warehouse Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Lone Tree, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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Live updates: Hamas considers Gaza ceasefire proposal as Israeli strikes kill at least 27

The Associated Press 12 minute read Preview
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Live updates: Hamas considers Gaza ceasefire proposal as Israeli strikes kill at least 27

The Associated Press 12 minute read Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 27 people in the Gaza Strip, hospital officials said Friday, while Hamas was reviewing a new Israeli-approved ceasefire proposal after giving it an initial cool response.

President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy had expressed optimism this week about brokering an agreement that could halt the Israel-Hamas war, allow more aid into Gaza, and return more of the 58 hostages still held by Hamas, around a third of whom are alive.

Experts say a nearly three-month Israeli blockade of Gaza — slightly eased in recent days — has pushed the population of roughly 2 million Palestinians to the brink of famine.

Israel’s war in Gaza has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which left around 1,200 dead.

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Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

Palestinian children get food at a food distribution kitchen in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinian children get food at a food distribution kitchen in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Russian captain denies manslaughter in North Sea collision as he faces UK trial

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Russian captain denies manslaughter in North Sea collision as he faces UK trial

The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 3, 2025

LONDON (AP) — The Russian captain of a cargo ship that collided with a U.S. tanker in the North Sea pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of one of his crew at a U.K. court hearing on Friday.

Vladimir Motin, 59, from St. Petersburg, appeared by video link from prison for the pretrial hearing at London’s Central Criminal Court. Assisted by a Russian interpreter, he denied a charge of gross manslaughter over the death of 38-year-old Mark Angelo Pernia.

Motin was ordered detained until his next hearing, and his trial was set for Jan. 12.

The Portugal-flagged cargo ship Solong was traveling at about 15 knots (17 mph or 28 kph) when it hit the anchored tanker MV Stena Immaculate about 12 miles (19 kilometers) off the coast of northeast England on March 10, sparking a fire that lasted nearly a week. The tanker was transporting jet fuel for the U.S. military.

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Tuesday, Jun. 3, 2025

FILE - Smoke billows from the MV Solong cargo ship in the North Sea, off the Yorkshire coast, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in England. (Dan Kitwood/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Smoke billows from the MV Solong cargo ship in the North Sea, off the Yorkshire coast, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in England. (Dan Kitwood/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams wins libel case against BBC over claim he sanctioned killing

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams wins libel case against BBC over claim he sanctioned killing

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 4 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 4, 2025

LONDON (AP) — Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams won his libel suit against the BBC on Friday over a claim that he authorized the killing of an informant inside the Irish republican movement.

A jury at the High Court in Dublin ruled in Adams’ favor and awarded him 100,000 euros ($113,000) in damages. Jurors deliberated for just under seven hours after the monthlong trial before reaching a verdict, rejecting the BBC's argument that it had acted in good faith and in a “fair and reasonable” way.

Adams sued Britain’s public broadcaster over a claim in a decade-old television documentary and online article that he sanctioned the killing of Denis Donaldson, a long-serving Sinn Fein official who acknowledged in 2005 that he had worked for British intelligence. He was shot dead at his cottage in rural Ireland four months later.

In the BBC program, broadcast in September 2016, an anonymous source claimed the shooting was sanctioned by the political and military leadership of the IRA and that Adams gave “the final say.”

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Wednesday, Jun. 4, 2025

Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams walks outside the High Court where he is bringing a legal action against the BBC over allegations about the murder of an MI5 spy in 2006,in Dublin, Ireland, Wednesday May 28, 2025. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams walks outside the High Court where he is bringing a legal action against the BBC over allegations about the murder of an MI5 spy in 2006,in Dublin, Ireland, Wednesday May 28, 2025. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

Lance McCullers gets 24-hour security after online death threats, some aimed at 5-year-old daughter

Kristie Rieken, The Associated Press 8 minute read Preview

Lance McCullers gets 24-hour security after online death threats, some aimed at 5-year-old daughter

Kristie Rieken, The Associated Press 8 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

HOUSTON (AP) — Soon after Lance McCullers Jr.’s family received online death threats following a tough start by the Houston Astros’ pitcher, his 5-year-old daughter, Ava, overheard wife Kara talking on the phone about it.

What followed was a painful conversation between McCullers and his little girl.

“She asked me when I came home: ‘Daddy like what is threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?’” McCullers told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “So, those conversations are tough to deal with.”

McCullers is one of two MLB pitchers whose families have received online death threats this month as internet abuse of players and their families is on the rise. Boston reliever Liam Hendriks took to social media soon after the incident with McCullers to call out people who were threatening his wife’s life and directing “vile” comments at him.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. reacts after a throw during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. reacts after a throw during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Tony Hawk, Mark McMorris help open skateboard park expansion in Smithers, B.C.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Tony Hawk, Mark McMorris help open skateboard park expansion in Smithers, B.C.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

Tony Hawk and Mark McMorris wanted their presence at the Smithers Skate Park expansion unveiling to amplify skateboarding's importance in the remote, northern B.C. community.

Skateboarding icon Hawk and Canadian snowboarding star McMorris travelled to the town of 5,000 people for Thursday's opening. They lauded the community's pluck in raising $1.8 million to increase the size of the street park and build a bowl for skateboarders next to the Yellowhead Highway that runs from Winnipeg to the West Coast.

"I don't go to many grand openings, to be honest, but this seemed like a really unique situation," Hawk said. "I don't want to say it's the most remote area, but in remote areas, skateboarding is still a valid option for kids to choose, and they want to do it. We need to provide facilities for them."

McMorris, a three-time Olympic slopestyle bronze medallist whose 24 X Games medals is the most among snowboarders, has a special place in his heart for skateboarding.

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Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk high-fives young fans during the grand opening of the expanded Smithers Skate Park in Smithers, B.C., in this Thursday, May 29, 2025 handout photo. Hawk and Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris visited the northern B.C. town of 5,000 to celebrate the community’s $1.8-million effort to grow the park. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Erica Chan *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk high-fives young fans during the grand opening of the expanded Smithers Skate Park in Smithers, B.C., in this Thursday, May 29, 2025 handout photo. Hawk and Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris visited the northern B.C. town of 5,000 to celebrate the community’s $1.8-million effort to grow the park. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Erica Chan *MANDATORY CREDIT*