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Montreal police say basilica fire not arson, investigation shows cause was electrical

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:50 GMT

Montreal police say an early morning fire outside the city’s Notre-Dame Basilica was not intentionally set. Police spokeswoman Const. Véronique Dubuc says arson investigators were at the scene this morning and determined the fire’s origin was electrical.Police began an investigation after firefighters found what they believed were traces of accelerant. Firefighters were called to the historic church in Old Montreal around 2:30 a.m. after a fire began on a construction scaffold being used for renovation work on the building’s exterior.Police say there was no damage to the building, which is a national historic site.Christmas masses at the basilica are scheduled to go ahead as planned. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2023. The Canadian Press

REVIEW: Ferrari slows down a fast, dangerous life

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:50 GMT

Michael Mann (the director of the Insider and Ali) is one of the greatest filmmakers of late 20th century Hollywood, and his streak of excellent films continued well into the 21st century. After Blackhat, he took a break and enjoyed his twilight years. But you can’t keep a good filmmaker down.Adam Driver in Ferrari, courtesy of Elevation Pictures.Ferrari is Mann’s first film in 8 years, and his first working with Adam Driver (from Girls and House of Gucci). Driver plays Enzo Ferrari, the Italian race-car driver turned entrepreneur, at a time of immense personal turmoil in his life. His son Dino recently passed away, his marriage with his wife Laura (played by Penélope Cruz from Volver and Vicky Cristina Barcelona) is falling apart, and his company is failing. His associates tell him that the only way his company can survive is by winning the 1957 Mille Miglia, a race entirely on public roads around Italy.Mann’s films are always cool, calm, and collected. The term &...

Manchester United announces deal to sell up to 25% of EPL club to UK billionaire Jim Ratcliffe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:50 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — More than a year after it was put up for sale, Manchester United said Sunday that British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe had agreed to buy a minority stake in the storied Premier League club.Ratcliffe, who owns petrochemicals giant INEOS and is one of Britain’s richest people, has bought a stake of “up to 25%” of the 20-time league champions and will invest $300 million in its Old Trafford stadium.As part of the deal, United said Ratcliffe would take responsibility for the club’s soccer operations.Ratcliffe, who was born in Failsworth, Greater Manchester, had originally bid to buy American owners, the Glazers’, majority share of around 69%.“As a local boy and a lifelong supporter of the club, I am very pleased that we have been able to agree a deal with the Manchester United Board that delegates us management responsibility of the football operations of the club,” Ratcliffe said.“Whilst the commercial success of the club has ensured there have always been avail...

Finding new dimensions, sisterhood, and healing in ‘The Color Purple’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:50 GMT

It’s not a secret that Fantasia Barrino did not want to play Celie again. The “American Idol” winner hadn’t had the best time doing “The Color Purple” on Broadway.The protagonist of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells her story of sexual, physical and psychological abuses in the early twentieth century South in a series of letters to God. And it was a character she found it difficult to leave behind at the end of the day. Even the prospect of starring in her first major motion picture didn’t seem worth it. But director Blitz Bazawule had a different vision: He wanted to give Celie an imagination. This Barrino found intriguing.“Once she understood the assignment, she quickly agreed,” Bazawule said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.Now, four decades after “The Color Purple” became a literary sensation and a Steven Spielberg film, the story is on the big screen again. This time it’s a grand, big budget Warner Bros. musical starring Barrino, Taraji P. H...

More Quebec public unions have tentative deals on working conditions, but not on pay

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:50 GMT

MONTREAL — Three more Quebec public sector unions say they’ve reached tentative agreements with the province around working conditions, but salary negotiations continue.The unions represent around 185,000 health-care workers and more than 12,000 education staff. Negotiations around salaries and benefits are taking place at a central negotiation table separate from talks around working conditions, which are being discussed by sector. One of the unions, which represents technical and professional staff in health and social services, says the tentative agreement around working conditions won’t be presented to members until a salary deal is reached. The unions are part of union group calling itself the “common front,” which has said its 420,000 members will launch an unlimited strike in the new year if a deal isn’t reached. On Friday, two unions representing more than 100,000 teachers said they’d reached similar deals addressing working conditions. Th...

In Christmas message, Trudeau urges Canadians to find strength in differences

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:50 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians should “find strength in our differences” this Christmas.In his annual Christmas address, Trudeau called for Canadians to “love our neighbours as we love ourselves” and give back, helping those who have fallen on hard times.“Let’s share the warmth of the season with those who are spending the holidays alone this year,” Trudeau urged.He said that while Christians mark the religious holiday by celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the values of “compassion, kindness and hope” are for everyone.Trudeau thanked members of the military, first responders, and volunteers who give their time to improve someone else’s holidays, saying they “embody the eternal message and timeless truth that it is more blessed to give than to receive.”He also called on Canadians to bring the spirit of the holidays into the New Year and find ways to make communities, the country and the world ̶...

Man dead due to early morning fire near the Stockyards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:50 GMT

A man has died due to a fire near The Stockyards early Sunday morning.Fire crews were called to McCormack Street, near Weston Road and St. Clair Avenue West, at approximately 4:08 a.m. for reports that several tractor trailers were on fire.“In the course of firefighting and search and rescue operations, one person was located inside a storage trailer adjacent to the fire,” said Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg on X.The victim, a man in his 40’s, was transferred to the care of Toronto medics but succumbed to his injuries at the scene.Police and the Office of the Fire Marshal are investigating the origin, cause and circumstances of the fire.I am on scene with @Toronto_Fire crews on McCormack Street. The investigation into the origin, cause&circumstances of this fire is underway in collaboration with @TorontoPolice and @ONFireMarshal. Sincere condolences to family, friends and all those impacted by this tragic fire.— Matthew Pegg (@ChiefPeggTFS) December 24, ...

Man charged after crash that killed his stepdaughter near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:50 GMT

CHICAGO — A man has been denied pre-trial release after he crashed his car while intoxicated and killed his stepdaughter earlier this month near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney.Chicago Police Department Officers responded to the crash around 2:15 a.m. on Dec. 17 in the 12100 block of Irving Park Road near the airport. Man charged in fatal shooting at Wheaton pub after argument over bar tab When they arrived, they found Juan Moxthe, 45, of Wood Dale, and his stepdaughter, Jaylene Escamilla, who had died, according to a news release. During the investigation, Chicago police learned the man, his wife, Escamilla and her husband were driving when Moxthe lost control, hit a guard rail and flipped the car, according to the release. The DuPage County State's Attorney's Office said his BAC was 0.12 about two hours after the crash. “As I have said many times before, if you have been drinking, do not get behind the wheel of a car," Stat...

Clouds will clear to a sunny end to Christmas Eve Day

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Christmas Eve started with a good amount of rain. Between the middle of the afternoon Saturday to this morning many of the area's rain gauges picked up more than inch. Three rain gauges in Burnet County received more than two inches, and one of those ended with 2.99". CENTRAL TEXAS RAIN TOTALS The last rains exits east and the fog gone. As that happens, a look to the Hill Country sees sunshine breaking through the overcast sky. The clearing will continue from west to east this afternoon.Tonight's cold front leaves a chill off of northwest breezesAnother cold front arrives tonight delivering a northwest wind. The sky will be clear with most temperatures at midnight in the upper 40s to low 50s ... perfect for Santa's visit to Central Texas.Christmas Day forecast feels winterishChristmas morning will be mostly sunny with temperatures at sunrise in the upper 30s to low 40s. Clouds will slowly increase during the afternoon. With wind out of the northwest 10 to 20 mph...

Company pays Texas $350K for poor customer service

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday his office had received an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) with CSC Holdings, LLC. to guarantee that "it provides the services that it advertises to consumers in Texas," per the release.CSC Holdings, LLC provides broadband, television, phone and other services to consumers in more than 100 service areas in Texas, per the release. Before August 2022, the company worked in Texas under the "Suddenlink Communications" brand, but now has re-emerged as "Optimum," the release added.The Office of the Attorney General of Texas said in the release residents have noted a pattern of issues over multiple years, including suspected billing practices, slow internet speed, frequent outages, poor customer service and misleading promotional work.The company agreed to pay the OAG $350,000 to the state and address any issues in its customer service practices.Optimum shares the state’s goal of ensuring that Texans receive high-q...