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Canada expels Indian diplomat as it probes possible link to Sikh’s slaying. India rejects allegation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:47 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat as it investigates what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations its government may have had links to the assassination in Canada of a Sikh activist, an accusation that India rejected as “absurd.”Trudeau said in Parliament on Monday that Canadian intelligence agencies have been looking into the allegations after Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a strong supporter of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia.Trudeau told Parliament that he brought up the slaying with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 last week. He said he told Modi that any Indian government involvement would be unacceptable and that he asked for cooperation in the investigation.Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said the head of Indian intelligence in Canada has been expelled as a consequence. “If proven true this would be a great viola...

Montgomery Co. Council members continue discussions on a voluntary 911 registry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:47 GMT

Six Maryland jurisdictions, including Howard County, already have a voluntary 911 registry, intended to help police handle calls that involve people with a range of disabilities, including autism.Now, Montgomery County is continuing to discuss the merits of similar legislation, where people could sign up to provide information to police and first responders ahead of time. The idea is that when those first responders arrive on a scene, they would know, for example, that a person at the address is deaf or might have delayed response times or be nonverbal.On Monday, members of two Montgomery County Council committees — Public Safety and Health and Human Services — met to discuss some of the issues that have cropped up.Council member Gabe Albornoz, who is also the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, said he had questions about how the information would be provided to first responders during an emergency.“How is that communicated to officers who are actually responding and ...

3 people hurt in shooting on 17th Avenue in Denver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:47 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Police said three people were hurt in a shooting Monday night in City Park West.It happened in the 1700 block of East 17th Avenue, according to the Denver Police Department. FOX31 was at the scene about 10 p.m., where police had the road blocked off at Williams Street.Police said "a possible suspect was arrested." The three victims were transported to the hospital.No information was immediately released about the suspected shooter or the possible circumstances of what happened. The investigation was ongoing.

‘Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose’ a quirky delight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:47 GMT

Why doesn’t Hollywood know what to do with the great English actor Simon Pegg? Bursting upon the international scene in 2004 as the zombie-killing lead in Edgar Wright’s raucous “Shaun of the Dead,” one of the earliest and best of the new wave of zombie films, Pegg has been relegated to second banana roles by the industry ever since. He has repeatedly played Benji Dunn in the increasingly tiresome and rote Tom Cruise “Mission Impossible” films; and Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in the J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” film series. Pegg also had a role in Abrams’ “The Force Awakens” (2015).But the actor has had a scant number of starring roles, except in obscure efforts. In the frequently daffy, outlandishly-named “Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose,” which is based on a true story (!), Pegg plays the title role of “beardo” Dr. Nandor Fodor. According to his attractive, singleton live-in assistant Anne (Minnie Driver), Fodor is “the world’s foremost parapsychologi...

BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos finding his place in the ACC

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:47 GMT

The Boston College coaching staff is just beginning to tap into the athleticism and dual threat capabilities of quarterback Thomas Castellanos.The 5-10, 196-pound, sophomore from Waycross, Georgia, established himself as an ACC prototype in his second career start, a 31-29 loss to No. 3 Florida State in the league opener for both teams on Saturday at Alumni Stadium.Castellanos attacked the Seminoles’ vaunted defense in the air and on the ground during a second half rally that fell just short. The transfer from Central Florida completed 20 of 33 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown. Castellanos led the Eagles in rushing with 95 net yards on 16 carries with a touchdown.Since 1996, only 22 FBS quarterbacks have thrown for 300 yards and rushed for at least 95 against an AP Top 25 opponent. Of those 22 quarterbacks, 18 were from the ACC and a few of them were named Lamar Jackson.BC co-offensive coordinators Steve Shimko and Rob Chudzinski will make greater use of Castellanos’ dual threat...

Leventhal: Sugary drink taxes slam low-income consumers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:47 GMT

Attempts to control what consumers choose to consume are frequent, but taxing sugary drinks to push people to make healthier choices has been a more regular one. However, this paternalistic instinct has repeatedly failed to achieve its health goals. Instead, it imposes a regressive tax without improving people’s health and can even drive small grocery stores out of business.More than 100 countries tax sugary drinks, which means for 51% of the world’s population, their soda is artificially more expensive. Despite it being a common practice, there is little evidence of health gains and strong evidence it hurts the local economy, especially lower-income households. Even in the face of limited benefits and large harms, many local governments in the United States have imposed sweetened beverage taxes. Even the World Health Organization recommends taxing sweetened drinks.Like most “sin taxes,” soda taxes tend to fall on the poorest people the most heavily. Lower-income homes spend a large...

‘New normal’ and other annoying workplace buzzwords

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:47 GMT

If you haven’t uttered them yourself, you’ve probably heard them spew from the mouths of co-workers or your boss. They are the most annoying business buzzwords for 2023.So what’s the most fingernail-on-blackboard phrase for workers?“New normal,” according to a survey conducted by Preply Business, a language learning platform that connects online tutors with businesses and teams. Preply collected responses from 1,551 Americans working in offices or remotely.Joining new normal as most hated buzzwords were:CultureCircle backBoots on the groundGive 110%Low-hanging fruitWin-winMove the needleGrowth hackingThink outside the box.The survey asked workers how frequently they heard buzzwords in the workplace, the most popular jargon they heard, the phrases they disliked the most and red flag words in job descriptions.Perhaps to be expected, some of the most frequently heard words also were the most annoying. Here are the 10 most used phrases:Win-winCultureASAPThink outside the boxMoving forwa...

Orioles repeat magic, come back to beat Astros, 8-7, behind Cedric Mullins’ go-ahead 3-run homer in 9th

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:47 GMT

After a celebration as raucous as Sunday’s, how much energy a team will have to play nine competitive innings the following day is a question.It wasn’t for the playoff-bound Orioles, who are simply too good, too scrappy and too clutch to go away when they’re supposed to.Gunnar Henderson, Ryan O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins and the rest of Baltimore’s lineup partied hard Sunday and played just as hard — OK, maybe not that hard — Monday against the Houston Astros.Henderson twice sprinted 270 feet around the bases. O’Hearn recorded the first five-hit game of his six-year career. And Mullins, whose walk-off sacrifice fly Sunday sent the Orioles into celebration mode, did it again with a go-ahead three-run home run in the ninth inning en route to a hold-your-breath 8-7 victory.Mullins was in position to play hero again after Baltimore’s bullpen blew a two-run lead in the sixth and allowed six runs in three innings after five solid frames fro...

Canada expels an Indian diplomat as it investigates a Sikh’s killing. India denies an alleged link

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:47 GMT

By KRUTIKA PATHI and ROB GILLIES (Associated Press)NEW DELHI (AP) — Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat as it investigates what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations its government may have had links to the assassination in Canada of a Sikh activist, an accusation that India rejected as “absurd.”Trudeau said in Parliament on Monday that Canadian intelligence agencies have been looking into the allegations after Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a strong supporter of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia.Trudeau told Parliament that he brought up the slaying with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Group of 20 summit last week in New Delhi. He said he told Modi that any Indian government involvement would be unacceptable and that he asked for cooperation in the investigation.Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said the head of Indian ...

Dear Abby: Bio mom doesn’t have to support adoptive parents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:47 GMT

Dear Abby: Would it be wrong to reach out to my biological mother for financial help? I was adopted when I was just 2 months old. I was lucky to have wonderful parents, but they are in poor health, and it’s affecting both of them physically. I’m going into debt helping them out financially. They are on a fixed income that barely covers their expenses. Would it be wrong of me to ask my birth mother for that help? We see each other occasionally. My birth mother sold her house and isn’t hurting financially. I don’t want to sound entitled. I just need some help, and I’m prepared for a no. — Entitled to Anything?Dear Entitled: It isn’t your birth mother’s responsibility to support the couple who adopted you, particularly since the request for money would be ongoing. You stated that you see her only occasionally. (If you do what you are considering, you may be seeing her less often.) If your parents still have relatives, you might have some ...