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50.jili OTTAWA — Persistently down in the polls and with a Parliament that has ground to a halt, the Liberals attempted to solve both problems Thursday with a two-month GST cut and $250 cheques to millions of Canadians, just in time for the holiday season. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is trying to give Canadians a break on the cost of living when prices are typically highest. “Our government can’t set prices at checkout, but we can put more money in people’s pockets,” he said. Under the Liberals’ proposal, the GST cut would be applied to children’s clothes, toys, diapers and car seats and the Christmas trees those toys would go under. All of the beer, wine and cider Canadians buy for holiday parties would be exempt and many grocery items that are currently subject to GST — like pre-made meals and salads, as well as chips and candy — would not have the tax applied from Dec. 14 until Feb. 15. Canadians who don’t feel like cooking themselves would also be covered, because the GST will not apply to restaurant meals during the two-month period. The GST cut would cost the government an estimated $1.6 billion. For a family spending $2,000 over that period, the government estimates a $100 savings. Pratik Parmar, owner of The Cottage Cheese, a restaurant in Kensington Market that specializes in Indian cuisine, says he is still trying to understand how Ottawa’s announcement will impact his business. “It’s a good initiative, but only for some small period of time,” Parmar said. “It does not solve the problem completely.” The restaurant industry was among the hardest hit by pandemic closures and still hasn’t recovered. While inflation has cooled this year, consumers went through two years of above-average increases. The Liberals have trailed the Conservatives in public opinion polls for more than a year now, sometimes by more than 20 points, with cost of living consistently ranking as a top issue. Consumers are spending less on dining out while business owners continue to face rising labour costs, sky-high rents and debt loads. Parmar is hopeful the GST cuts will help stimulate post-holiday season traffic at his restaurant. “January is dead, as always,” he said. Trudeau also announced Thursday that anyone who worked in 2023 and made less than $150,000 would also qualify for a new Working Canadians Rebate of $250, expected to be delivered in April. The government estimates the rebate will go to 18.7 million Canadians and cost $4.68 billion. Trudeau had previously rejected the suggestion his government send cheques to Canadians, arguing they would be inflationary, with prices rising right alongside any government largesse. On Thursday, he said that is no longer the case. “We’ve been close to a year within the target range that the Bank of Canada set, which is why the Bank of Canada is now dropping interest rates faster than for most of our peer countries,” he said. “This is something that we’re able to do because Canada has one of the strongest balance sheets in the world.” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the Liberals are offering a temporary tax holiday, while continuing to increase the carbon levy and other costs for Canadians. “What we have is a two-month temporary tax trick that will not make up for the permanent quadrupling of the carbon tax on heat housing, food and fuel,” Poilievre said. “Ironically, in just a few months, Trudeau and the NDP plan to raise taxes on all the same items they claim they’re giving you a break on directly through the carbon tax.” Poilievre called on the government to scrap the consumer price on carbon and implement his proposal for a permanent GST cut on newly constructed homes. At Queen’s Park, where Premier Doug Ford’s government has promised to send $200 cheques to Ontarians early in the new year, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy accused the prime minister of being a copycat. “Obviously that was our idea,” Bethlenfalvy told reporters. “But look, the best thing he can do is cut that carbon tax ... if you really want to put money back in people’s pockets.” Ford’s rebate plan is expected to cost $3 billion. The New Democrats have been proposing a broader GST cut, which would cover cellphone, internet and home heating bills and would be permanent. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Wednesday that his party had pushed the Liberals into action, even if it was only partially what the NDP had proposed. “This is temporary, and it doesn’t include the monthly bills, but we know that middle-class families need a break, so we’re going to work as hard as possible to get this done as quickly as possible,” he said. However, whether the temporary GST cuts can be implemented will now depend on the government being able to pass legislation through what has become a stalled Parliament. The House of Commons has ground to a halt for weeks over a privilege debate that has prevented any legislation from advancing, as the opposition demands documents related to Sustainable Development Technology Canada be tabled in the house, and the government cites Charter of Rights issues and attorney-client privilege in withholding some of them. The New Democrats are not willing to relent on the broader privilege debate, but will work with the government to pass the GST cuts. To do so, the NDP hopes to pause — but not end — the ongoing stalemate by temporarily adjourning debate in the House of Commons for a single day. Singh plans on making a “programming” motion, which would require the Liberals’ support to pass, that would theoretically allow for the legislation to be introduced and green-lit in one day. That would allow debate on the privilege motion to continue the next sitting day. “We don’t want to let the Liberals off the hook, but we want to see some relief for middle-class families,” he said. Business groups mostly welcomed the proposed GST suspension. Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Dan Kelly said this will be a helpful but complicated initiative for his members. “The biggest issue members have right now is consumer demand, so anything which helps with that is good, but the administrative complexity of this could outweigh the benefits,” he said. “My biggest concern is am I going to get a bunch of calls from members in March or April because they’ve been told they gave a GST break on things they shouldn’t and didn’t do one on things they should have.” Kelly Higginson, president and CEO of Restaurants Canada, said more than half of restaurants are currently losing money or just breaking even. Higginson said fewer Canadians are dining out, and they’re spending less when they do. “The recent drop in foot traffic has been deeply discouraging for our operators as they head into the challenging winter season,” she said. “Today’s announcement restores some much-needed hope to our industry and we are optimistic it will translate to increased spending at local restaurants across the country.”

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By Anneke Smith of RNZ Warning: This story discusses details of sexual abuse. A former political figure who sexually abused two teenage boys nearly 30 years ago has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison. The man, who is not a sitting MP, sexually assaulted two young teenagers he mentored through a sports club in the mid- to late-1990s. He continues to deny any offending after being found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault after a week-long jury trial in the Auckland District Court in August.New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) AAP legislator Naresh Balyan was arrested here on Saturday in connection with an extortion case lodged last year, police said. The MLA from Delhi's Uttam Nagar Assembly segment was called to the Delhi Police's Crime Branch office in R K Puram for questioning and was later arrested, they said. The development came hours after the BJP alleged that Balyan was involved in extortion activities and questioned why AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has not taken action against him. The Aam Aadmi Party defended Balyan, claiming that his arrest was illegal. The MLA had refuted the BJP's allegations and said he would lodge police cases against those who "spread lies" about him. A police official said that an audio clip of a conversation purportedly between Balyan and gangster Kapil Sangwan, currently based abroad, had gone viral on social media. The conversation involved discussions about collecting extortion money from businessmen, he said, adding further investigation and interrogation was underway. AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged that since Kejriwal has started raising the issue of law and order and rising crime in Delhi, the BJP and the central government are "trying to harass and conspire against his party leaders". "Balyan has been arrested under this conspiracy and the charges against him are baseless," Singh claimed. "The BJP leaders have played a fake audio despite the High Court's order against it. Balyan himself complained to the police about multiple threats received by him from the gangster Kapil Sangwan," he claimed. AAP MLA refutes extortion charges levelled by BJP The BJP on Saturday alleged that AAP MLA Naresh Balyan was involved in extortion activities and questioned why his party chief Arvind Kejriwal has not taken action against him. The AAP legislator refuted BJP's allegations and said he will lodge police cases against those who "spread lies" about him. Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia and the party's Delhi president Virendra Sachdeva played an audio clip of a purported conversation of the AAP MLA with the gangster. Bhatia charged that the AAP was involved in threatening people and extorting money from them. He asked whether Kejriwal and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi will take action against the MLA and ask him to resign. "If they do not ask for his resignation, it will be deemed that the extortion money is going to the party and its leaders," he charged. Bhatia said that it was "election time" in Delhi and the AAP government was in "exit mode". People will not only "throw it out of power" but also ensure it's not able to remain in the opposition, he added. Dismissing the accusations levelled against him, Uttam Nagar MLA Balyan said, "I am sending notices to all those who have spread the false clip and getting FIRs registered against them. Remember, I am not a Congressman. Those who spread lies should be ready for legal action." BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya too targeted Kejriwal in a series of posts on X. "...Arvind Kejriwal is running an extortion network in Delhi and then blames the BJP for poor law and order," Malviya said. "...AAP has reduced Delhi to a cesspool of corruption," he added. AAP senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh dismissed the allegations by the BJP. "Arvind Kejriwal is raising his voice against the deteriorating law and order and rising crime in Delhi. Instead of stopping these crimes, BJP and Amit Shah are trying to stop Kejriwal. To stop our leader, they are now running a fake audio clip," Singh said. Singh added, "The audio clip has no authenticity and the Delhi High Court has imposed a stay on it. Despite this, the Bharatiya Janata Party - I must call it the 'Bharatiya Jhootha Party'- has once again circulated this clip." The BJP's allegation comes amid AAP's criticism of the Centre and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged rise in crimes in Delhi. The AAP has alleged that the BJP and the Union Home Ministry has turned Delhi into "gangster capital". (This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

Did Seeman seek Rajni’s advice on a BJP tie-up?Brittany Mahomes made sure to support her husband Patrick as the Kansas City Chiefs played against the Las Vegas Raiders on November 29. She was joined by her two kids, daughter Sterling Skye, 3, and son Patrick "Bronze," who turned 2 on Thanksgiving. As she shared a number of moments from the match on social media, Brittany looked over the moon as the Chiefs won 19—17 at the Arrowhead Stadium. The mom-of-two wore Chiefs colors of red, white and black, with a particularly striking pair of patent leather red boots with a stiletto heel. Her kids kept close to her amid the busy environment, no doubt excited to see their father play, although they looked overstimulated as they stood by the pitch. Sterling could be seen putting her hands over her ears in one photo, although her mom held her close to reassure her that everything was okay. Like their mom, Sterling and Bronze wore Chiefs colors to support their dad, with black hooded jackets and red accents; the eldest opted for a bright red bow in her long blonde curly hair. Fans took to the comments to comment on the pitchside photos, with one person commenting that they were "The most adorable Mommy and babes!" Another fan added: "Look how Bronze keeps watching the field!! Love it!!" One person observed: "Beautiful pics of Brittany, as always. I sure worry about the kids' ears. Sterling is covering them and looks a bit miserable in so many pics." Their sentiment was echoed by others who suggested the family invest in some headphones for the kids. But one person set the discussion to rest: "WOW! So many negative comments!" "Pictures capture a moment, not the whole story," they continued. "Judging someone based on a single snapshot is like reading one sentence of a book and thinking you understand the entire plot. Don’t be judgmental if you don’t know the whole story." One person reshared the photos of Brittany and pointed out she was wrangling two toddlers while pregnant and wearing heels, and "looking STUNNING while doing it." Patrick and Brittany announced that they were expecting their third child in a joint Instagram Reel on July 12. The couple revealed the sex of their unborn child on July 20, sharing a video on social media. Patrick, Brittany, and their two kids all gathered to play "tic tac tell", revealing the baby would be a girl.

VCA Animal Hospitals and Antech Advocate for More Comprehensive Pet Data in Public Health Reporting, Recommend Six-Step Framework for One Health CollaborationBritain, Germany, France, Italy and several other European countries said Monday they would freeze all pending asylum requests from Syrians, a day after the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad. While Berlin and other governments said they were watching the fast-moving developments in the war-ravaged nation, Austria signalled it would soon deport refugees back to Syria. Far-right politicians elsewhere made similar demands, including in Germany -- home to Europe's largest Syrian community -- at a time when immigration has become a hot-button issue across the continent. Alice Weidel, of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, reacted with disdain to Sunday's mass rallies by jubilant Syrians celebrating Assad's downfall. "Anyone in Germany who celebrates 'free Syria' evidently no longer has any reason to flee," she wrote on X. "They should return to Syria immediately." World leaders and Syrians abroad watched in disbelief at the weekend as Islamist-led rebels swept into Damascus, ending Assad's brutal rule while also sparking new uncertainty. A German foreign ministry spokesman pointed out that "the fact that the Assad regime has been ended is unfortunately no guarantee of peaceful developments" in the future. Germany has taken in almost one million Syrians, with most arriving in 2015-16 under ex-chancellor Angela Merkel. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said many Syrian refugees "now finally have hope of returning to their Syrian homeland" but cautioned that "the situation in Syria is currently very unclear". The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees had imposed a freeze on decisions for ongoing asylum procedures "until the situation is clearer". She added that "concrete possibilities of return cannot yet be predicted and it would be unprofessional to speculate in such a volatile situation". Rights group Amnesty International slammed Germany's freeze on asylum decisions, stressing that for now "the human rights situation in the country is completely unclear". The head of the UN refugee agency also cautioned that "patience and vigilance" were needed on the issue of refugee returns. In Austria, where about 100,000 Syrians live, conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer instructed the interior ministry "to suspend all ongoing Syrian asylum applications and to review all asylum grants". Interior Minister Gerhard Karner added he had "instructed the ministry to prepare an orderly repatriation and deportation programme to Syria". "The political situation in Syria has changed fundamentally and, above all, rapidly in recent days," the ministry said, adding it is "currently monitoring and analysing the new situation". The French interior ministry said it too would put asylum requests from Syrians on hold, with authorities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway announcing similar moves. Britain's interior ministry said it was taking the same measure "whilst we assess the current situation". The Italian government said late Monday after a cabinet meeting that it too was suspending asylum request "in line with other European partners." The leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats, a coalition partner in the government, said residence permits for Syrian refugees should now be "reviewed". "Destructive Islamist forces are behind the change of power" in Syria, wrote their leader Jimmie Akesson on X. "I see that groups are happy about this development here in Sweden. You should see it as a good opportunity to go home." In Greece, a government spokesman voiced hope that Assad's fall will eventually allow "the safe return of Syrian refugees" to their country, but without announcing concrete measures. In Germany, the debate gained momentum as the country heads towards February elections. Achim Brotel, president of a grouping of German communes, called for border controls to stop fleeing Assad loyalists reaching Germany. The centre-right opposition CDU suggested that rejected Syrian asylum-seekers should now lose so-called subsidiary protection. "If the reason for protection no longer applies, then refugees will have to return to their home country," CDU legislator Thorsten Frei told Welt TV. CDU MP Jens Spahn suggested that Berlin charter flights to Syria and offer 1,000 euros ($1,057) to "anyone who wants to return". A member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats criticised the debate as "populist and irresponsible". Greens party deputy Anton Hofreiter also said "it is completely unclear what will happen next in Syria" and deportation talk was "completely out of place". Many Syrians in Germany have watched the events in their home country with great joy but prefer to wait and see before deciding whether to return. "We want to go back to Syria," said Mahmoud Zaml, 25, who works in an Arabic pastry shop in Berlin, adding that he hopes to help "rebuild" his country. "But we have to wait a bit now," he told AFP. "We have to see what happens and if it is really 100 percent safe, then we will go back to Syria." burs-fz/rlp/phz/gv/giv

Police deny sitting on evidence as Netflix doc brings renewed attention to JonBenet Ramsey's killingDENVER — Amid renewed interest in the killing of JonBenet Ramsey triggered in part by a new Netflix documentary, police in Boulder, Colorado, refuted assertions this week that there is viable evidence and leads about the 1996 killing of the 6-year-old girl that they are not pursuing. JonBenet Ramsey, who competed in beauty pageants, was found dead in the basement of her family’s home in the college town of Boulder the day after Christmas in 1996. Her body was found several hours after her mother called 911 to say her daughter was missing and a ransom note was left behind. The gravesite of JonBenet Ramsey is covered with flowers Jan. 8, 1997, at St. James Episcopal Cemetery in Marietta, Ga. JonBenet was bludgeoned and strangled. Her death was ruled a homicide, but nobody was ever prosecuted. The details of the crime and video footage of JonBenet competing in pageants propelled the case into one of the highest-profile mysteries in the United States. The police comments came as part of their annual update on the investigation, a month before the 28th anniversary of JonBenet’s killing. Police said they released it a little earlier due to the increased attention on the case, apparently referring to the three-part Netflix series “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey.” In a video statement, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said the department welcomes news coverage and documentaries about the killing of JonBenet, who would have been 34 this year, as a way to generate possible new leads. He said the department is committed to solving the case but needs to be careful about what it shares about the investigation to protect a possible future prosecution. “What I can tell you though, is we have thoroughly investigated multiple people as suspects throughout the years and we continue to be open-minded about what occurred as we investigate the tips that come in to detectives,” he said. The Netflix documentary focuses on the mistakes made by police and the “media circus” surrounding the case. A police officer sits in her cruiser Jan. 3, 1997, outside the home in which 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was found murdered Dec. 26, 1996, in Boulder, Colo. Police were widely criticized for mishandling the early investigation into her death amid speculation that her family was responsible. However, a prosecutor cleared her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, and brother Burke in 2008 based on new DNA evidence from JonBenet’s clothing that pointed to the involvement of an “unexplained third party” in her slaying. The announcement by former district attorney Mary Lacy came two years after Patsy Ramsey died of cancer. Lacy called the Ramseys “victims of this crime.” John Ramsey continued to speak out for the case to be solved. In 2022, he supported an online petition asking Colorado’s governor to intervene in the investigation by putting an outside agency in charge of DNA testing in the case. In the Netflix documentary, he said he advocated for several items that were not prepared for DNA testing to be tested and for other items to be retested. He said the results should be put through a genealogy database. In recent years, investigators identified suspects in unsolved cases by comparing DNA profiles from crime scenes and to DNA testing results shared online by people researching their family trees. In 2021, police said in their annual update that DNA hadn’t been ruled out to help solve the case, and in 2022 noted that some evidence could be “consumed” if DNA testing is done on it. Last year, police said they convened a panel of outside experts to review the investigation to give recommendations and determine if updated technologies or forensic testing might produce new leads. In the latest update, Redfearn said that review ended but police continue to work through and evaluate a “lengthy list of recommendations” from the panel. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Kmani Doughty had 17 points in Indiana State’s 83-80 victory against Iona on Saturday. Doughty shot 5 of 9 from the field, including 1 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 7 from the line for the Sycamores (4-4). Jaden Daughtry added 16 points while going 6 of 9 and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line while they also had six rebounds and three steals. Josiah LeGree shot 5 for 8, including 3 for 5 from beyond the arc to finish with 14 points. The Gaels (2-6) were led by Dejour Reaves, who posted 30 points and three steals. Adam Njie added 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals for Iona. Yaphet Moundi also had 12 points and nine rebounds. LeGree scored 11 points in the first half for Indiana State, who went into halftime tied 45-45 with Iona. Indiana State. Samage Teel scored 10 second-half points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .How Meme Coins Are Influencing Retail Investor Sentiment

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Baylor wins 6th straight as Sawyer Robertson throws 4 TDs in 45-17 win to end Kansas seasonDaily Post Nigeria You’re political hustler – Wike replies Ugochinyere Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News You’re political hustler – Wike replies Ugochinyere Published on November 23, 2024 By Seun Opejobi The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has said the House of Representative member from Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere should be in jail for impersonation. This was as Wike described Ugochinyere as a political hustler trying to satisfy his paymasters from Rivers State. He was reacting to the lawmaker’s remark that he was playing kindergarten and childish politics in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Wike was reacting to Ugochinyere’s comment on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday in which he accused him and the G-5 governors of trying to destroy PDP. Ugochinyere also accused Wike of playing childish and kindergarten politics in PDP. Reacting through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, warned the lawmaker to stop making unfounded claims about him. A statement by Olayinka reads partly: “If PDP had functioned properly, would Ugochinyere have gotten the party’s ticket while still in another party? Even till today, as a PDP Rep member, Ugochinyere is still holding on to his Action Peoples Party APP, using it to cash out in Rivers State. “Therefore, we on this side are not bothered because we understand why Ugochinyere must now mount the podium and accuse Wike of playing childish and kindergarten politics. He must satisfy those feeding him from the resources of Rivers State.” He also mocked the lawmaker for always having an organisation to speak for to carry out his “political hustle.” “In saner climes, such a character would have been arrested, tried and jailed for impersonation. When he got to the House of Representatives and there was no title under which his political hushpuppism would continue, he awarded to himself a non-existing title of ‘Spokesperson of Opposition Lawmakers Coalition in the 10th National Assembly,’ claiming to have been so appointed by the Coalition of United Political Parties. “Being the political hustler that he has always been, Ugochinyere knew that he would be contravening the rules of the National Assembly by allocating to himself a non-existing position, but he just must have a title to keep his hustle going, and indeed, it has been booming,” the statement articulated. Related Topics: Ugochinyere Wike Don't Miss Rural development: No community in Ekiti will suffer neglect – Oyebanji You may like Six year-single term for president temporarily set back – Ugochinyere Wike, G5 governors want to destroy PDP – Rep member ugochinyere Criticism over judges quarters project does not bother me – Wike Irredeemable doom awaits PDP – Ugochinyere warns Rivers: Court stops Wike-backed APC from holding congress Rivers crisis: Leave Fubara alone, nobody is bigger than PDP – Bode George to Wike Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdDodgers have held 'preliminary' extension talks with former Gold Glove winner