SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A small group of foreign tourists has visited North Korea in the past week, making them the first international travelers to enter the country in five years except for a group of Russian tourists who went to the North last year.

The latest trip indicates North Korea may be gearing up for a full resumption of its international tourism to bring in much-needed foreign currency to revive its struggling economy, experts say.

The Beijing-based travel company Koryo Tours said it arranged a five-day trip from Feb. 20 to Feb. 24 for 13 international tourists to the northeastern North Korean border city of Rason, where the country’s special economic zone is located.

Koryo Tours General Manager Simon Cockerell said the travelers from the U.K., Canada, Greece, New Zealand, France, Germany, Austria, Australia and Italy crossed by land from China. He said that in Rason, they visited factories, shops, schools and the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the late grandfather and father of current leader Kim Jong Un.

“Since January of 2020, the country has been closed to all international tourists, and we are glad to have finally found an opening in the Rason area, in the far north of North Korea,” Cockerell said.

“Our first tour has been and gone, and now more tourists on both group and private visits are going in, arranging trips,” he added.

After the pandemic began, North Korea quickly banned tourists, jetted out diplomats and severely curtailed border traffic in one of the world’s most draconian COVID-19 restrictions. But since 2022, North Korea has been slowly easing curbs and reopening its borders.

In February 2024, North Korea accepted about 100 Russian tourists, the first foreign nationals to visit the country for sightseeing. That surprised many observers, who thought the first post-pandemic tourists would come from China, North Korea’s biggest trading partner and major ally.

A total of about 880 Russian tourists visited North Korea throughout 2024, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said, citing official Russian data. Chinese group tours to North Korea remain stalled.

This signals how much North Korea and Russia have moved closer to each other as the North has supplied weapons and troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. Ties between North Korea and China cooled as China showed its reluctance to join a three-way, anti-U.S. alliance with North Korea and Russia, experts say.

Before the pandemic, tourism was an easy, legitimate source for foreign currency for North Korea, one of the world’s most sanctioned countries because of its nuclear program.

North Korea is expected to open a massive tourism site on the east coast in June. In January when President Donald Trump boasted about his ties with Kim Jong Un, he said that “I think he has tremendous condo capabilities. He’s got a lot of shoreline.” That likely refers to the eastern coast site.

A return of Chinese tourists would be key to making North Korea’s tourism industry lucrative because they represented more than 90% of total international tourists before the pandemic, said Lee Sangkeun, an expert at the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank run by South Korea’s intelligence agency. He said that in the past, up to 300,000 Chinese tourists visited North Korea annually.

“North Korea has been heavily investing on tourism sites, but there have been not much domestic demand,” Lee said. “We can assess that North Korea now wants to resume international tourism to bring in many tourists from abroad.”

The restrictions that North Korea has typically imposed on foreign travelers — such as requirements that they move with local guides and the banning of photography at sensitive places — will likely hurt its efforts to develop tourism. Lee said that Rason, the eastern coast site and Pyongyang would be the places where North Korea feels it can easily monitor and control foreign tourists.

Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated Press

Halifax has led the country in downtown recovery out of the pandemic years, with experts saying the secret to success has been the area's diverse economy.

People who work and live in the northern Cape Breton community of Ingonish, N.S., say there's been a lack of consultation and they are worried about the possible environmental impacts and cost of Victoria County's new sewage treatment system.

Regional council voted unanimously in favour of a staff report that would look at "options and opportunities" for the site after a fire destroyed one of the buildings on Feb. 16. The report will also provide an update on the municipality's "buy-back rights" to the property.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong will cut thousands of civil service jobs and boost spending in artificial intelligence as it seeks to tackle an increasing deficit, authorities said Wednesday.

Finance Secretary Paul Chan said during a budget speech that there would be a “cumulative reduction” of government recurrent expenditure by 7% from now until 2027-2028. Hong Kong’s deficit had reached $87.2 billion Hong Kong dollars ($11.2 billion) for the financial year of 2024-2025, making it the third straight year of losses.

“It gives us a clear pathway towards the goal of restoring fiscal balance,” Chan said.

He said 10,000 civil servant posts would be cut by April 2027, representing a reduction of about 2% of the civil service in each of the next two years. Salaries will also be frozen in the civil service this year.

Chan also said that up to $195 billion Hong Kong dollars ($25 billion) worth of bonds will also be issued in the next five years to ensure progress of important infrastructure projects, with more than half used to refinance sort-term debt.

To boost income, Hong Kong will also raise its airport departure tax from 120 Hong Kong dollars ($15.50) to 200 Hong Kong dollars ($25.70) from the third quarter of the year, representing a 67% increase.

Separately, Hong Kong will also make a push into artificial intelligence by leveraging the city’s “internationalized characteristic to develop Hong Kong into an international exchange and co-operation hub for the AI industry.”

Authorities have also earmarked $1 billion Hong Kong dollars for an AI research and development institute, and will set up a $10 billion ($1.29 billion) innovation and technology fund to invest in “emerging and future industries of strategic importance.”

Hong Kong’s finances have been impacted by a weak property sector, as home prices plunged some 30% over the last three years. It is also grappling with economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions as U.S.-China relations deteriorate.

The amount of land premiums paid by developers to the government has declined, hurting Hong Kong’s revenues. Land sales typically made up about a fifth of government income, but this has fallen to just above 5% in the last fiscal year.

Hong Kong’s fiscal reserves will shrink 12% from $734.5 billion Hong Kong dollars ($94.5 billion) to about $647.3 billion Hong Kong dollars ($83.3 billion) by the end of March, and a further 10% in 2025-26, Chan said.

Zen Soo, The Associated Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for HRM and the Atlantic Coastline of Nova Scotia in advance of some rain and strong winds.

The national forecaster says snow will begin on Thursday and that will switch over to rain as temperatures warm, bring 20-30 mm before tapering off Friday morning.

The forecast is also calling for mild temperature, which lead to what environment canada is calling significant snow melt.

The rain combined with the runoff could create hazardous driving conditions from water pooling on roadways and some localized flooding, especially in poor drainage areas

The winds will also pick up on Thursday with gusts from the south expected in the 60-80 km/h range throught the day

MONTREAL — With the debates now done, Liberal party members can start casting advance ballots today to select their next leader a little under two weeks from now.

They can cast their ranked ballot choices by mail or in some instances by phone, and each electoral district counts for 100 points in the race.

Former central bank governor Mark Carney, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, former government House leader Karina Gould and Montreal businessman Frank Baylis all made their pitches to Liberal voters in the only two debates of the race on Monday and Tuesday.

Carney is widely perceived to be the front-runner in the race by far.

He’s leading in endorsements, polling, fundraising — and he’s the main target of attacks by the Conservative party.

But the point-based voting system doesn’t guarantee he’ll walk away with it when Liberals select Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s successor on March 9.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2025.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press

Ontario’s main political party leaders are making multiple stops across the province today with their final pitches to voters ahead of election day on Thursday.

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is set to start the day with an announcement just outside of Windsor, the city where he launched his re-election campaign last month.

Ford will end his day in Mississauga East-Cooksville, the riding Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is hoping to win to secure a seat in the legislature.

Crombie’s itinerary says she will spend the bulk of her day in Mississauga, visiting businesses and local campaigns, in addition to stops in Oakville and Hamilton.

Meanwhile, NDP Leader Marit Stiles has campaign events scheduled from Toronto to Niagara that include meetings with nurses and teachers.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner will be in Kitchener.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2025.

The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 1b39c0b7628e35eb79e7c0a2834e166753de5ca64b22cfc77d46a9a37c11b95e.jpg, Caption:

Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford, left to right, Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie and Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles wait for the start of the Ontario Leaders’ debate at CBC’s Broadcast Centre, in Toronto, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

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OTTAWA — As the Canadian broadcast system is upended by streaming, old-school media and telecom companies say they’re struggling to compete and they want the country’s broadcast regulator to take a lighter touch.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is holding consultations on how the Canadian broadcasting system can survive the shift away from traditional TV to international streamers.

It’s a part of the regulator’s work on implementing the Online Streaming Act, which updated broadcasting laws to capture online platforms.

The CRTC launched a consultation in January to study market dynamics as Canadians move from traditional broadcasting and cable — which is subject to various CRTC rules and regulations — to streaming services dominated by international giants like Netflix, Amazon and Disney+.

Filings were due Monday and the CRTC also will hold a consultation hearing in May in Gatineau, Que.

In its submission, Rogers argued rules implemented by the CRTC to govern the traditional cable and satellite TV markets are now putting those companies at a disadvantage against online streaming companies.

“Many of the Commission’s existing regulatory tools are ineffective because they undermine the competitiveness of Canadian broadcasting undertakings vis-a-vis global streaming giants,” Rogers argued in its filing.

“These tools — the vast majority of which are not required to achieve the Act’s policy objectives — have become a drag on the Canadian broadcasting system by inhibiting innovation, investment and risk-taking.”

Rogers cited, among others, rules on mandatory distribution of some TV channels and on how providers have to package TV channels in cable offerings — including the requirement that TV providers have to offer a $25 basic cable package.

Bell asked the CRTC to “acknowledge that some deregulation of the traditional system is necessary.”

It also argued that “to the extent that traditional broadcasters continue to carry an asymmetrical regulatory burden,” they should be given “offsetting advantages.”

Bell, which owns the Crave streaming service, also asked the CRTC to introduce new regulations on foreign streamers to promote Canadian and Indigenous content available through Canadian TV broadcasters and their affiliated streaming services.

In its filing, it listed a number of rules that apply to the traditional system but not to foreign streamers.

“While we would argue that many of these regulations were counterproductive even within a closed system, at least they were applied consistently to all participants,” Bell said.

“However, now that foreign streamers have established a dominant position within an open Canadian broadcasting system, many of these rules significantly undermine the competitiveness of our services.”

In their submissions, big U.S. streamers urged the CRTC not to impose regulations developed for the traditional cable and satellite system on the online market.

Paramount said the CRTC should “reject proposals to simply transpose prescriptive regulatory tools and requirements designed for a closed linear broadcasting system onto online undertakings.”

Apple told the CRTC the current rules were developed mainly to address vertical integration in the traditional system, and those “tools are neither appropriate nor relevant for online undertakings.”

It noted a rule that states a vertically integrated company that owns both broadcast channels and the cable company that carries those channels can’t give itself an undue preference.

Netflix told the CRTC it doesn’t have jurisdiction over the commercial terms and conditions under which content owners make their programs available.

“Therefore, the Commission must tread lightly and avoid overreaching into the economic relationships between online undertakings and other broadcast entities,” it said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2025.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — Alison Steel was a young child when her mother was sent to Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron and his colleagues at Montreal’s Allan Memorial Institute in the 1950s for treatment of what her daughter believes was likely depression triggered in part over the loss of another child.

After rounds of electroshocks, induced comas and experimental drugs her mother, Jean, emerged from the psychiatric hospital a changed person — childlike, unable to perform everyday tasks, and, as her daughter puts it, “in her own world.”

Now, hopes for compensation for Steel and the families of other patients allegedly brainwashed decades ago at the Allan Memorial rest in the hands of a judge who must decide on a bid by the federal government and the McGill University Health Centre to dismiss their lawsuit.

Last week, a Quebec Superior Court judge heard arguments from lawyers for the government and the hospital who argued that the families waited too long to file claims over the treatment that their siblings and parents received under the MK-ULTRA program, funded by the Canadian government and the CIA between the 1940s and 1960s at the Allan Memorial.

Steel, who was in the Montreal courtroom on Friday to hear the arguments, is joined by about 50 families who have brought the lawsuit alleging their loved ones were subjected to psychiatric experimentation that included powerful drugs, repeated audio messages, induced comas and shock treatment.

“Our families were treated like guinea pigs,” she said outside the courtroom.

David Baum, a lawyer representing the health institutions, told the court that while the hospitals feel compassion for the families, their legal efforts to secure compensation are “ill-advised, misguided and doomed to fail.” His clients are the McGill University Health Centre and its affiliated hospital, the Royal Victoria.

He told Justice Christian Brossard that the procedure was prescribed — meaning it was filed after the window to bring forward a suit — and sought to re-litigate issues that have already been “extensively addressed” by previous court cases going back decades.

“It’s our view that, in the interest of justice and the parties themselves, that this court should not advance a recourse that ultimately has no chance of success,” Baum told the court.

Baum and a lawyer for the Attorney General of Canada claimed that Steel and the other family members had all the information they needed to sue years or even decades ago. They noted that some former patients received $100,000 in compensation beginning in the 1990s, which was offered without an admission of guilt on the government’s part, and signed releases renouncing further claims.

Alan Stein, the lawyer representing the families, bristled at the claims that his clients’ case represents an “abuse of procedure,” as the other side has argued.

“If anyone is abusive, it’s the government of Canada and the Royal Victoria Hospital in this case,” he told the judge. In court, he also suggested the current motion to dismiss is a delaying tactic from hospital and government lawyers, noting the issue of time limits were not raised in previous court proceedings.

While Cameron’s treatments have spawned decades worth of reports and legal action, Steel and the other family members argue that they were only able to obtain their families’ medical records in the last few years, and had only recently realized that there was an avenue open to them to sue, as family members.

Stein said that while previous compensation was offered to some former patients, nobody has sufficiently recognized the impact of the alleged treatments on their children or siblings, who lived for decades with the repercussions.

“They say we are abusing their procedures…no, they’re abusing us by making us wait this long,” Steel said.

She said the full scope of what happened to her mother only became clear in recent years, when she managed to obtain her mother’s medical records and, with Stein’s help, obtain compensation for her mother’s estate. That settlement was part of what encouraged others now involved in the suit to seek out medical records and explore legal options.

Glenn Landry, a member of the lawsuit, says he was raised by foster families after his mother became incapable of caring for him after she received treatments. While he maintained a relationship with her, he described her as an “empty shell” who never shared insights on her life.

Landry said he and others have faced resistance over the years when trying to obtain their family members’ medical records. He said he acted to join the lawsuit as soon as he finally got his mother’s records in 2018. He sees the argument over time limits as an “excuse” by institutions who want to avoid addressing a historical wrong by delaying as long as possible.

He noted the government and hospital lawyers have also suggested suspending the case until a separate proposed class action by another set of alleged victims can be held. If that happens, and the case is delayed further, “more of us (will be) dead,” he said.

Brossard said Friday he will issue a decision at a later date.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2025.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Two Atlantic provinces are looking for new premiers after the resignations of Dennis King last week in P.E.I. and Andrew Furey Tuesday in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Their resignations came as the two provinces, like the rest of the country, face the threat of crippling 25 per cent tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Monday the tariffs are going forward on Canadian and Mexican goods next month.

Furey emerged as a leader among premiers in his stance toward Trump, urging his counterparts to take seriously the president’s threats of using economic force to make Canada the 51st state.

After a trip to Washington earlier this month, Furey said it was clear the president was attacking not just Canada’s economy but its sovereignty, and he said it was time to re-evaluate the Team Canada strategy.

Furey told reporters Tuesday that he has asked the provincial Liberals to begin a race to replace him, and he will stay on until his replacement is chosen.

In P.E.I., former education minister Rob Lantz was named last week as interim leader of the Progressive Conservatives and sworn in as premier, but he said he had no intention of running to be the permanent Tory leader.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2025.

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — In a series of press conferences in recent weeks, the federal Conservatives have demanded that Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney comply with the conflict of interest rules that apply to members of Parliament and cabinet ministers.

Carney, who is neither an MP nor a member of cabinet, has said he will comply with the rules when they apply to him.

Here is what the rules say.

What are the rules for members of Parliament?

MPs are subject to the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons, which came into force in 2004 and has been updated five times, most recently in March 2023.

The code includes a process to disclose private interests to the ethics commissioner and procedures to make some of that information public. It also sets out rules to help MPs avoid conflicts of interest.

It only applies to sitting members of Parliament, so it’s not in force during an election.

What are the rules for the government?

Cabinet ministers and the prime minister are subject to the Conflict of Interest Act and must make disclosures to the ethics commissioner.

Some of the information disclosed to the commissioner has to be made public.

What are the rules for candidates in a party leadership race?

Elected MPs are subject to the House of Commons conflict of interest code. That code applies to two candidates in the current Liberal leadership race: Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould.

Cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries also have to comply with the Conflict of Interest Act, but Freeland and Gould both stepped down from their cabinet roles before the leadership race began.

Frank Baylis, who was an MP from 2015 to 2019, would have made disclosures at that time. Right now, he and Carney are not subject to either set of rules.

Why don’t the rules apply to Carney?

Rob Shepherd, a professor of public policy and administration at Carleton University, said the rules are “meant for protecting the interests of the Canadian public once they’re in office.”

“No candidate is required to disclose their personal assets,” he said, adding that asking candidates to disclose assets early could run afoul of privacy laws.

This is an unusual situation, since Carney could become prime minister before becoming an MP. Shepherd said that’s led to questions about whether the rules need to be changed.

“It may be a very legitimate question to ask,” he said.

Shepherd said that while changes could be made to the laws that govern elections, it’s up to political parties to set the rules for their own leadership races.

What happens when the leadership race is over?

The winner of the Liberal leadership race will be appointed prime minister by the governor-in-council and will then have to comply with the Conflict of Interest Act.

That law says public office holders have 120 days to complete an initial compliance process.

They must divest controlled assets — assets like stocks or bonds that could rise or fall in value as a result of government actions. Those assets must be sold in an arm’s-length transaction or placed in a blind trust.

Within 60 days of taking office, a cabinet minister, minister of state or parliamentary secretary must submit a confidential report to the ethics commissioner’s office. According to the wording on the ethics commissioner’s website, they must “make reasonable efforts to include a similar description for (their) spouse or common-law partner and dependent children.”

That report is reviewed by the commissioner’s office, which provides a summary statement and advice on any public declarations required. Those must be signed and handed to the commissioner within 120 days of the initial appointment to office.

What are the Conservatives saying?

Conservative MPs say Carney is exploiting a “loophole” in the laws.

MP Michelle Rempel Garner said last week that because Carney could win the Liberal leadership and quickly call a federal election, “it’s conceivable that he wouldn’t have to disclose his financial interests … until after an election.”

She argued the law did not anticipate “an unelected person who had significant corporate board interests becoming prime minister” and called on Carney to disclose all his corporate interests now.

“I firmly think that anybody seeking to lead this country needs to live above the letter of the law,” she said.

Conservative MP Michael Barrett pointed out that Carney was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “senior economic adviser” for years.

Carney became an informal adviser to the federal government on economic matters during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In late 2024, the Liberals announced he would chair a task force to help the party develop ideas on spurring economic growth.

“It’s very clear that we have a problem with the rules as they exist because Mark Carney can be sneaky about what his business dealings are,” Barrett said Tuesday.

He did not answer when asked whether party leadership races should be restricted to sitting MPs. He also didn’t say which rules should be changed.

Dennis Matthews, president of advertising agency Creative Currency and a Conservative strategist, said the Liberals and the Conservatives are both racing to brand Carney, who is a relative unknown on the political stage.

“All of the best attacks in politics have to have a kernel of truth to them. So when you look at Conservatives going after Carney on financial disclosures, or business dealings from the past … these can be answered with a little bit of sunshine from Mark Carney,” he said.

“If he’s not willing to answer, you can see that brings into (play) questions of, ‘What’s being hidden?'”

But Shepherd said the attacks are a “false flag.”

“What’s sneaky about this, exactly? The (Conflict of Interest Act) doesn’t capture (Carney),” he said.

He said he thinks the Conservatives are “doing whatever they can to slow down a speeding train, that is, their decline in the polls.”

“You throw as much as you can out there and see what sticks,” he said.

What is Carney saying about all this?

When he announced his intention to run for the Liberal leadership, Carney said he resigned as UN special envoy for climate action and finance and left his executive role at Brookfield Asset Management and the boards of Stripe and PIMCO.

His campaign team said in an emailed statement on Monday that he has resigned from all professional or advisory roles.

“He will work hard to earn a seat in the House of Commons, where he is committed to complying with all applicable ethics rules and guidelines relating to these roles,” said campaign spokesperson Emily Williams.

“It’s clear that Pierre Poilievre is afraid to face Mark Carney in the coming election campaign.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2025.

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — For transgender students involved in a very special project at a culinary school in Pakistan, there is more to a class than just learning the art of cooking.

Neha Malik used to dance at parties and weddings for a living and was, occasionally, a sex worker. Since January, she has been enrolled in a new course for the trans community at the Culinary & Hotel Institute of Pakistan.

The free six-month program in the city of Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital, welcomed its first group of 25 trans students in January; the second group of 25 began training on Feb. 1.

Now, Malik, 31, dreams of working as a chef in Dubai, the futuristic, skyscraper-studded city in the United Arab Emirates.

She never misses a class. “I am so absorbed in learning that I don’t have time to dance anymore,” she added.

Many Pakistanis have entrenched beliefs on gender and sexuality, and trans people are often considered outcasts in the conservative Muslim-majority country. Some are forced into begging, dancing and even prostitution to earn money. They also live in fear of attacks.

The U.N. development agency said last year that the majority of trans people in Pakistan reported experiencing violence or abuse and that most reported being denied employment opportunities because of their gender identity. Just 7% were employed in formal sectors, the UNDP added.

Trans women in public office and the media have raised awareness about a marginalized and misunderstood community, and overall, the community has seen some progress in the protection of their rights.

Supreme Court rulings allow them to self-identify as a third gender, neither male nor female, and have underscored they have the same rights as all Pakistani citizens.

Last year, Lahore got its first ride-sharing service for trans people and women in an effort to protect them from discrimination and harassment, and in 2022 Pakistan launched a hotline for trans people.

“Society usually looks down on us,” said Malik. “We have to change this mindset. Now, people come up to me and ask what I do when they see me in a chef’s coat and hat.”

Since classes started, students file into the Lahore culinary school with backpacks and beaming smiles, swapping their colorful clothes for white uniforms.

However, it’s a struggle. They each get a monthly stipend of 8,000 rupees, around $26 — nowhere near enough to live on as a student.

“How can we survive on that when my rent is 15,000 rupees?” said 26-year-old Zoya Khan. Her utility bills swallow up most of it, she said.

So she performs at a few events a month.

“I used to earn a decent amount (from dancing), I won’t lie,” she added. But “there was no respect in it.”

“Why do we come here? It’s because we see hope,” said Khan, who wants to start her own business after graduating — a roadside cafe.

Nadia Shehzad, the institute’s chief executive, said the project will help the trans community, a “rejected and ignored sector of society” get equal recognition.

The school is trying to get government officials to help the aspiring chefs with visas to go abroad for work, Shehzad said. There are also talks with local hotels and restaurants about jobs once the students graduate — with wages of up to 30,000 rupees, or about $107.

Still, it’s not easy for for trans people to leave behind dancing, begging and sex work for the culinary program, said Shabnam Chaudry, a trans community leader.

Many wonder if society would give them work — or if people at restaurants would eat food cooked by trans chefs.

In the past, Chaudry said she had seen many trans people taking makeup and sewing courses, only to fail to find jobs afterward and be forced to return to begging and dancing to survive.

She is also concerned about their prospects of finding a job: Pakistan has hundreds of thousands of young people with skills and degrees who cannot find work.

“In the face of this tough competition, who will give jobs to trans people,” Chaudry asked. “People are not ready to shake hands with us.”

Babar Dogar, The Associated Press

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Tens of thousands of Hindu devotees gathered at a revered temple in Nepal’s capital on Wednesday to celebrate one of the country’s biggest religious festivals.

In the Bankali forests near Pashupati, the temple of the Hindu god Shiva, holy men and devotees puffed on cannabis smoke, a practice that is normally illegal but is permitted during the Shivaratri festival.

Devotees have been praying and dancing to religious songs at the temple, which is one of the most important for Hindus around the world. About 81% of Nepal’s population is Hindu. Many Hindus from neighboring India also traveled to Kathmandu for the festival.

A key part of Shivaratri is the freedom to smoke marijuana, an act that is normally punishable by prison sentences of up to a month for users and 10 years for traffickers.

The forest area across the Bagmati river from the temple was filled with marijuana-smoking Hindu holy men, who camp there for days during the festival. Young Nepalese men and some women were also partaking in the smoke.

“Weed smoking should be made legal but with some limits and boundaries,” said Abhishek Pathak, who was among those smoking cannabis. “There are multiple uses of marijuana and I really hope in the future that the use of marijuana will be totally legalized.”

“Once it is legalized, the benefits would be not just for the individuals but for the entire country,” he said.

Lawmakers and supporters have made efforts to decriminalize marijuana in Nepal. A petition was filed in January 2020 to legalize the farming and use of marijuana, but progress since then has stalled.

“Once marijuana is legalized in the country, there will be so many opportunities that it could open up like in medical use,” said Akash Rimal, a festival attendee.

Nepal was famous for marijuana and other narcotics in the 1960s, when hippies made their way to the Himalayan nation. Shops and tea houses used to advertise and sell it legally. However, marijuana was outlawed in 1976.

Hundreds of police officers patrolled the area but were not stopping the smokers from puffing on joints during the festival.

Binaj Gurubacharya, The Associated Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday, with Chinese markets gaining after Wall Street extended its losses on worries over inflation and tariffs.

The rally in Chinese shares was led by gains for technology companies. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 2.5% to 23,619.24, while the Shanghai Composite index added 0.5% to 3,362.63.

Hong Kong-traded hares in food delivery company Meituan surged 6.1%, while e-commerce giant Alibaba gained 4.8%. Gaming and technology company Tencent Holdings advanced 3.6% and search engine and AI company Baidu was up 2.8%.

Such companies have regaining some strength as Beijing has indicated stronger support for the private sector after years of crackdowns on tech companies.

Elsewhere in the region, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index shed 0.8% to 37,928.96, while the Kospi in Seoul edged 0.2% higher to 2,635.45.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gave up 0.2% to 8,232.70. In Taiwan, the Taiex gained 0.3%. Thailand’s SET was up 0.8%.

On Tuesday, some of Wall Street’s brightest stars lost more of their shine after a report said U.S. households are getting more pessimistic about the economy.

The S&P 500 fell 0.5% to 5,955.25, falling as much as 1.2% during the day.

The Nasdaq composite sank 1.4% to 19,026.39 as several influential Big Tech companies lost momentum and screeched lower. But the majority of stocks nevertheless rose, which helped the Dow Jones Industrial Average add 0.4% to 43,621.16.

Nvidia fell 2.8%, while Tesla tumbled 8.4%.

Nvidia is due to announce its profit on Wednesday, its first earnings report since a Chinese upstart, DeepSeek, upended the artificial-intelligence industry by saying it has developed a large language model that can compete with big U.S. rivals without having to use the most expensive chips.

That called into question all the spending Wall Street had assumed would go into not only Nvidia’s chips but also the ecosystem that’s built around the AI boom, including electricity to power large data centers.

Weaker than expected economic reports have siphoned away the momentum that took Wall Street to repeated records in recent months.

“What was supposed to be a soft-landing narrative is quickly turning into a hard dose of reality,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a report.

“The U.S. economic backdrop is shifting sharply lower, a stark contrast to the euphoria that defined the start of ’25. And now, investors are scrambling to adjust their positioning on the fly,” he said.

The U.S. economy still appears to be in solid shape, and growth is continuing at the moment. But for the first time since June, a measure of consumers’ expectations for the economy in the short term fell below a threshold that usually signals a recession ahead, according to The Conference Board. The increase in pessimism was broad-based and carried across both higher- and lower-income households, as well as older and younger ones.

Wall Street tracks consumer confidence because strong spending is what helps keep stave off recession. And Tuesday’s report echoed what an earlier report from the University of Michigan suggested: Consumers see the current situation as OK, but they’re worried about the future.

In other dealings early Wednesday, Bitcoin was trading at $88,800.

Treasury yields pulled back as investors herded into investments generally seen as safer in times of uncertainty. Yields have been swinging since President Donald Trump’s election amid worries over how his policies on tariffs, immigration and taxes could affect the global economy.

Trump has antagonized U.S. trading partners recently, threatening to raise tariffs and inviting them to retaliate with import taxes of their own. Trump said Monday that tariff hikes on imports from Canada and Mexico will move ahead after a one-month delay.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.29% from 4.40% late Monday, a notable move for the bond market. In January it was near 4.80%.

U.S. benchmark crude oil gained 17 cents to $69.10 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, dropped $1.37 to $72.68 per barrel.

The dollar rose to 149.60 Japanese yen from 149.03 yen. The euro slipped to $1.0497 from $1.0515.

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AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed.

Elaine Kurtenbach, The Associated Press

KHIAM, Lebanon (AP) — Residents of southern Lebanon have been gradually returning to their villages to find their homes heavily damaged by the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

As they scour what remains, they are discovering that the battle-scarred walls of their houses served as a canvas for Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah supporters that tell the story of the war.

The scrawled messages give insight into the battles that erupted after Israel launched a ground invasion into southern Lebanon in October 2024, months after Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones at Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

A ceasefire in November allowed Lebanese residents to begin returning to their homes, which had been occupied by Israeli troops.

One yellow wall had written on it signs of preparedness: the cardinal directions in red. On another is what appears to be a battle plan: a hand-drawn map, a list of soldiers slated for a task and supplies — a drone, a stretcher.

“Wake up Kochuk every hour on the hour from 20:00,” reads one instruction, apparently referring to a soldier.

Elsewhere, a warning to the returnees: “We will be back,” scribbled in English, in gray spray paint, with a Star of David; the word Lebanon in red, with a large X crossing it out. One message reads cynically, “Thanks for the hospitality,” with a heart.

Others reveal moments of boredom — the rules of a card game spelled out in meticulous detail in Hebrew, along with sketches of most of the suit of hearts; a drawing of SpongeBob SquarePants, a dog, a ninja.

And still other messages appear intended to leave a personal mark: “Congratulations, mom,” scrawled in dark red on a bright pink bedroom wall, above a bed piled with belongings and near a photo of a local couple.

In another room, with windows blacked out by tarps and littered with garbage, a Bible verse. In a kitchen, inside an empty refrigerator alcove, a drawing of a blue menorah.

But not just messages from Israeli soldiers were left behind. Peppered throughout homes in the village of Khiam are notes in Arabic written by Hezbollah fighters or their supporters after Israeli forces withdrew earlier this month.

They underscore the continued allegiance to Hezbollah despite the hard blows it endured during the war. “Wish we lost everything and you stayed, Sayyed,” referring to Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in Israeli strikes in southern Beirut in September.

“Khiam is Golani’s graveyard,” reads a warning on one wall, referring to an Israeli military unit. On another, a message of defiance: “Our flag will not fall. … We will not drop our weapons.”

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Hassan Ammar, The Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura turned 58 on Wednesday.

Happy Birthday to the player known as “King Kazu.”

But there’s more to celebrate.

He’s also set to start his 40th season in professional soccer, the oldest player in the Japanese Football League.

Miura plays for Japanese fourth-division team Suzuka, on loan from second-division club Yokohama.

Suzuka was set to begin training this week with the season to open next month.

“ Retiring isn’t an option. I want to play as many minutes as I can in games,” Miura said late last year at a news conference, quoted by Japanese news agency Kyodo.

Miura has played professionally in Brazil, Italy, Croatia, Australia and Portugal. He made his debut in 1986 with Santos in Brazil, a club made famous by Brazilian star Pelé.

In 2017 at age 50, he became the oldest player to score in a professional match. That topped the record held by highly decorated England international Stanley Matthews.

Miura was one of the first big names in Japanese soccer. He scored 55 goals in 89 appearance and was a star with Japan’s national team in the 1990s.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

The second half of Tuesday night’s English-language Liberal leadership debate saw candidates exchange on how they plan to win the country’s youth vote.

Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, Karina Gould and Frank Baylis squared off in the second of two back-to-back debates after Monday’s French-language debate.

Historically, left-leaning parties like the Liberals hold the largest support from young voters in Canada. But a September 2024 poll by Abacus suggested 50 per cent of young voters aged 18 to 29 support Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives and Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada.

At Tuesday’s debate, the Liberal candidates said they need to do more to attract young voters back to the party. The youth vote was a big reason Justin Trudeau won a majority in 2015.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Freeland said the “electric” energy of Trudeau’s 2015 campaign was supercharged by how the party “recognized the pain” of young Canadians. If elected party leader next month, Freeland said she would cap credit card fees, cut taxes on first-time homebuyers — policies that would allow young people to build a “great Canadian life” if they “worked hard.”

“I was a young person in 2015,” said former House speaker Gould, adding the Liberal party cannot re-capture the youth vote by being “Conservative light.” In a press scrum after the debate, Gould said some of her Liberal colleagues — without naming names — were taking “Conservative ideas and putting them in their platform.”

“And you know what, that’s OK if they’re good ideas. But when it comes to stuff they’re putting forward, they’re not going to make a tangible and meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians,” Gould told reporters.

Throughout the night, Gould hit back at candidates who advocated for measures like tax cuts, arguing that young and vulnerable Canadians would benefit more from a boost to the country’s social safety net. She vowed she’d put Canada on the “path to universal basic income” if elected leader.

On making the country more affordable for young Canadians, leadership race frontrunner and former Bank of Canada governor Carney said a new Liberal leader needs to invest more public funds in universities while building new affordable homes.

Businessman and former MP Baylis echoed Carney, saying he was “completely focused on your education.” Baylis said on top of investing in higher education, the country needs to boost social housing and lower the cost of living by addressing Canada’s falling productivity rate. He said he would increase the amount of money that can be invested in a First Home Savings Account (FHSA).

“Start saving,” Baylis said, addressing young voters directly. He vowed that housing costs would lower in the meantime if he were elected party leader and prime minister.

The new leader of the Liberal party will be selected March 9.

YONAGUNI, Japan (AP) — This tiny island on Japan’s western frontier has no convenience store. Nature lovers can dive with hammerhead sharks and watch miniature horses graze on a hill.

But the wooded mountain ranges now carry radar sites. A southern cattle ranch has been replaced with the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force’s Camp Yonaguni. Japan and its ally, the United States, hold joint military exercises here. Plans are underway to add a new missile unit and expand a small airport and port.

All of the buildup has cemented the island’s as a front line in a potential clash over Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that China claims as its own.

“As a child, I was so proud of this westernmost border island,” said Fumie Kano, an innkeeper on Yonaguni. “But recently, we are repeatedly told this place is dangerous, and I feel so sad.”

The militarization has been especially felt as the island’s population shrinks. There are less than 1,500 local residents. Supporters say new servicemembers arriving are needed for the island’s safety and struggling economy. Opponents like Kano say the military buildup is damaging the environment, making the island’s economy dependent on the military and could provoke an attack.

On the frontline

Yonaguni is only 110 kilometers (68 miles) east of Taiwan, around which China has bolstered military activity. Worried about a conflict, Japan has made a “southwestern shift” in its military posture and accelerated defense buildup and spending around the frontline.

Missile units for PAC-3 interceptors have been deployed on Yonaguni and nearby Ishigaki and Miyako islands.

Yonaguni residents find themselves at the center of the geopolitical tension. A recent government plan to deploy more missiles, possibly long-range, has caused unease about the future of the island, even among those who initially supported hosting troops.

Kano, a Yonaguni native, recalls that officials and residents once wanted to improve the economy and environment through commercial exchanges with Taiwan by operating direct ferries between the islands. But that was set aside when a plan to host Japanese troops became an easier alternative to gain government subsidies and protection.

Disagreement about the plan has divided the small community. Support for hosting Japanese troops carried in a 2015 referendum; that meant the island’s fate would be largely decided by the central government’s security policy.

A year later a 160-member coast watch unit was set up to monitor Chinese military activity, with radars built on Mount Inbi and elsewhere. Now there are about 210 troops, including an electro-warfare unit. Servicemembers and their families account for one-fifth of the island’s total population.

The local economy largely depends on the servicemembers and their families who use local shops, schools and community services.

There’s worry on the island about the pace and extent of the militarization, says Kyoko Yamaguchi, a potter. “Everything is pushed through in the name of the Taiwan emergency, and many feel this is too much.”

A nonfatal crash in October of a Japanese army tilt-rotor aircraft Osprey during a joint exercise with the U.S. military on the island also caused apprehension.

Japan and China build their militaries

Japan’s air and maritime forces in Okinawa’s prefectural capital of Naha are key to protecting the country’s southwestern airspace and territorial waters.

The Naha-based Southwestern Air Defense Force is the busiest of Japan’s four regional air forces. In fiscal 2023, the force was scrambled 401 times, or 60% of the national total of 669, mostly against the Chinese, according to the Defense Ministry.

Rear Adm. Takuhiro Hiragi, commander of Fleet Air Wing 5 of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, says his group’s mission is to fly P-3C aircraft over the East China Sea near Okinawa and its remote islands, including Yonaguni, and the Japanese-controlled Senkaku island, which Beijing also claims.

“We have to be mobile, quick and thorough to keep tabs in this region,” Hiragi said, noting the presence of key sea lanes in the area, including those that China uses to navigate the Pacific Ocean. “We watch over their exercises, not only near Taiwan but wherever necessary.”

Defense officials say China has been accelerating its military activities in the area between Taiwan and Yonaguni.

In August, a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance plane briefly violated Japanese airspace off the southern main island of Kyushu, prompting Japan’s military to scramble fighter jets and warn the plane. A Chinese survey ship separately violated Japanese territorial waters off a southern island days later. In September, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and two destroyers sailed between Yonaguni and nearby Iriomote, entering a band of water just outside of Japan’s territorial waters.

Growing fear

Yonaguni fisherfolk, who closely monitor foreign vessels, have been among the first to see the growing Chinese military activity.

In 2022, several ballistic missiles China fired as part of an exercise landed off Japan’s southwestern waters following then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit in August. One of them landed just 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Yonaguni while more than 20 local fishing boats were operating.

Though it caused no injuries or damage, the Chinese drills kept fisherfolk from operating for a week, Yonaguni fisheries association chief and town assembly member Shigenori Takenishi said. “It was an extremely dangerous exercise that really made us feel China’s potential threat right next to us.”

Fear of a Taiwan war rekindles bitter memories here of the Battle of Okinawa, in which about 200,000 people, nearly half of them civilians, were killed. Historians say the army sacrificed Okinawa to defend Japan’s mainland. Today Okinawa ‘s main island hosts more than half of the 50,000 American troops in Japan.

(asterisk)Being at the center of this issue is very stressful for residents,” said shopkeeper Takako Ueno. “I don’t want people to imagine this beautiful island turning into a battlefield.”

To keep that from happening Yonaguni needs to be fortified, says Mayor Kenichi Itokazu, a military buildup advocate who has campaigned for the deployment of more Japanese troops for decades.

What happens in an emergency?

Some residents feel uneasy about their vulnerability, even amid the military buildup.

A government evacuation plan last year showed moving 120,000 people from five remote islands, including Yonaguni, to Japan’s main islands would take at least six days. Some question whether such an evacuation is even possible.

Itokazu, the mayor, wants to build a shelter in the basement of a new town hall and to expand the Higawa port for evacuation by ship, a plan opposed by environmentalists who say there are rare marine species there.

But there’s skepticism from some.

“It’s absurd,” Kano said of the evacuation plan, because all of Japan would be in danger if Okinawa is dragged into fighting. “I just hope the money will be spent on policies that will help the people in Yonaguni live peacefully.”

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Associated Press video journalist Ayaka McGill contributed to this report from Yonaguni.

Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

Halifax council has reversed a decision to scrap the redesign of the Windsor Street exchange, and the major intersection will be overhauled starting this year.

If Mark Carney is chosen as the next Liberal leader, more Canadians would vote for his party than Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, a new Léger Marketing poll is suggesting.

The poll says with Carney as leader, Liberal support would rise to 40 per cent while the Conservatives would be at 38 per cent.

In comparison, if a federal election were held today, the Léger poll suggests 38 per cent of Canadians would vote for Poilievre while 35 per cent would vote for the Liberals.

That’s already a much closer gap than just a few weeks ago, when the Conservatives appeared destined for an overwhelming victory, according to multiple pollsters.

A December Léger poll, for instance, put the Conservatives at 43 per cent support compared to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals at 21 per cent support. That’s all changed since Trudeau announced he would step down as party leader and prime minister once the Liberals elected a new leader.

Tuesday’s Léger poll also found a Carney-led Liberal party would result in 11 per cent support for the New Democratic Party of Canada; five per cent for the Bloc Québécois; three per cent for the Green Party; and two per cent for the PPC.

The Liberals will elect a new leader on March 9 with the second of two debates taking place Tuesday evening in Montreal.

The poll surveyed 1,534 adult Canadians between Feb. 21-23. Results were weighted according to age, gender, mother tongue, region, education and presence of children in the household. Online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size yields a margin of error no greater than ±2.50 per cent.

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian police apprehended a 40-year-old man attempting to smuggle several bags of cocaine concealed beneath a meticulously attached toupee.

Police said the suspect was detained at Cartagena’s airport on Monday as he prepared to board a flight to Amsterdam. A scanner revealed the hidden cargo: 220 grams of cocaine packaged in small bags, strategically placed under the “narco wig.”

Police estimate the street value of the drugs at approximately 10,000 euros in European markets.

A police video released on Monday captured the moment an officer, wearing blue gloves, carefully removed the suspect’s wig with scissors, revealing approximately a dozen packets of cocaine. Further police statements confirmed the suspect’s prior criminal record, which included two previous drug trafficking convictions.

“Organized crime groups are exploiting young people, falsely suggesting they can easily bypass our security measures,” said Cartagena Police Commander Gen. Gelver Yesid Peña. “However, this case demonstrates that is not true.”

Cocaine production in Colombia has been rising since 2013, according to the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime.

A report published in October by the international organization found that the cultivation of coca bushes increased by 10 percent in Colombia in 2023, while potential cocaine production increased 53% from the previous year.

While a 2016 peace agreement with the FARC rebels aimed to curb coca cultivation in rural areas, smaller armed groups have filled the power vacuum, actively promoting the lucrative cocaine trade.

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Manuel Rueda, The Associated Press

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A 44-year-old man was killed in Whitney Pier over the weekend, but police say residents shouldn't be concerned about safety. Kyle Moore has the story.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine and the U.S. have reached an agreement on a framework for a broad economic deal that would include the exploitation of rare earth minerals, three senior Ukrainian officials said Tuesday.

The officials, who were familiar with the matter, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. One of them said that Kyiv hopes that signing the agreement will ensure the continued flow of U.S. military support that Ukraine urgently needs.

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The agreement could be signed as early as Friday and plans are being drawn up for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to travel to Washington to meet Trump, according to one of the Ukrainian officials.

Another official said the agreement would provide an opportunity for Zelenskyy and Trump to discuss continued military aid to Ukraine, which is why Kyiv is eager to finalize the deal.

A 6-year-old boy who was stabbed Sunday on a downtown Halifax street is now in stable condition, police say.

Janitors and supporters will rally in front of City Hall tonight at 6pm.

The post Alderney Gate cleaners want Halifax to push new contractor to save jobs, pay liveable wage appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Five Microsoft employees were ejected from a meeting with the company’s chief executive for protesting contracts to provide artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to the Israeli military.

The protest on Monday came after an investigation by The Associated Press revealed last week that sophisticated AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI had been used as part of an Israeli military program to select bombing targets during the recent wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The story also contained details of an errant Israeli airstrike in 2023 that struck a vehicle carrying members of a Lebanese family, killing three young girls and their grandmother.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was speaking about new products at an employee town hall meeting at the company’s corporate campus in Redmond, Washington. Workers standing about 15 feet to his right then revealed T-shirts that when they stood side-by-side spelled out the question “Does Our Code Kill Kids, Satya?”

Photos and video of the incident, which was live streamed throughout the company, shows Nadella kept speaking and did not acknowledge the protesters. Two men quickly tapped the workers on the shoulders and ushered them out of the room.

Microsoft did not respond to an email from the AP on Tuesday seeking comment about the protest or whether the employees involved would face disciplinary action. The company also previously declined to comment about the AP’s Feb. 18 story about its contracts with the Israeli military.

In October, Microsoft fired two workers for helping organize an unauthorized lunchtime vigil for Palestinian refugees at its headquarters. Microsoft said at the time that it ended the employment of some people “in accordance with internal policy” but declined to give details.

A group of workers has been raising concerns within the company for months about Microsoft providing services to the Israeli military through its Azure cloud computing platform. Some employees at the company have also spoken out in support of Israel and said those supporting Palestinians have made them feel unsafe.

The AP’s investigation included exclusive details drawn from internal company data and documents, including that the usage of AI models by the Israeli military through Azure increased nearly 200 times after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants.

The AP’s report was shared and discussed among Microsoft employees on social media and within the company’s internal systems. In a community forum designated for employees to raise concerns with senior leadership, an employee shared links to the AP report. More than a dozen others questioned whether the company was violating its stated principles to defend human rights and not to let its AI models be used to harm people, according to screenshots reviewed by the AP.

Abdo Mohamed, a researcher and data scientist who was one of the Microsoft workers fired over the October vigil, said the company is prioritizing profits over its own human rights commitments.

“The demands are clear,” said Mohamed, who works with a group of Microsoft workers called No Azure for Apartheid. “Satya Nadella and Microsoft executives need to answer to their workers by dropping contracts with the Israeli military.”

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Michael Biesecker, The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — The meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump was a spectacle of thigh-patting, prolonged hand-holding and other touch-heavy displays that have become a signature of their public appearances.

It was another chapter in a relationship where physicality has often spoken louder than words as the two men have engaged in an unusual degree of touch since their first meeting early in Trump’s first term.

At the rendezvous Monday at the White House, Macron executed his signature maneuver: praise laced with correction. Calling Trump “Dear Donald” four times in a single news conference, he underscored their shared goals, particularly on Ukraine. But when Trump declared that Europe would “get their money back” for supporting Kyiv, Macron gently corrected him, explaining that allies had given more than loans.

A smiling Macron patted Trump’s forearm and thigh and countered: “We provided real money.”

When Trump mused about government employees who “don’t even exist,” Macron’s eyebrows lifted in an expression that flickered between curiosity and skepticism. But when Trump turned to him and proposed a visit to Fort Knox to “see if the gold is there, because maybe someone stole the gold,” Macron laughed. It was a moment of shared bonhomie, with Macron instinctively mirroring his American counterpart’s demeanor.

As Trump pivoted to praising Elon Musk and floated the idea of withholding pay from federal employees who failed to respond to an inquiry from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, Macron’s expression shifted again, his amusement fading into something more measured.

The politics of touch

Theirs is a relationship best understood not in words, but in gestures.

Perhaps the most revealing moment came when Trump became irked by Macron slipping into French. Trump cut him off with a compliment: “That is the most beautiful language,” followed by a firm thigh pat. An unfazed Macron then placed his hand atop Trump’s.

Nothing sums up their connection better than a prolonged, almost 30-second handshake in 2017, when Macron acknowledged he wanted to prove he was no pushover. With their knuckles turned white and jaws clenched, Trump tried to pull away, only to find Macron holding firm.

That first grip battle set the tone for the relationship that followed — part power play, part theater.

When Trump visited Paris for Bastille Day in 2017, Macron turned a day of national pride into a grand Franco-American showcase, dazzling Trump with a military parade and a carefully staged series of handshakes. One particularly revealing moment saw Trump yanking Macron off balance, clinging to his hand even as they greeted their wives.

Gestures have become more refined over time

Now their physical exchanges are more refined. The handshakes still linger a second too long and look like something between camaraderie and control.

At one point on Monday, Trump slapped Macron’s arm — half-friendly, half-assertive — before seizing his hand. They burst into hearty laughter.

“He’s a smart customer,” Trump said, after suggesting Macron had once twisted a conversation they had at the Eiffel Tower by speaking in French, which Trump could not understand.

Their hands remained clasped, a near-fist-like grip stretching just past the moment of comfort. Then, as if recalibrating the balance, Macron placed a hand on Trump’s thigh.

Macron and Trump have perfected the political pas de deux. And in the high-stakes world of diplomacy, sometimes a well-placed pat says more than words ever could.

Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey has announced he is leaving politics and will step down once the Liberal party chooses a replacement. Here is a look at the province’s 14th premier.

Age: 49

Early years: Born in St. John’s, Furey was involved in Liberal politics from a young age. His father, George Furey, is the former Speaker of the Senate. His uncle, Chuck Furey, served as a provincial legislator.

Education: He earned his medical degree at Memorial University in St. John’s, N.L., and trained in clinical epidemiology and orthopedic surgery.

Before politics: He worked as an orthopedic trauma surgeon and educator with Memorial University’s school of medicine. In 2010, he helped create Team Broken Earth to provide medical relief after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. He was later named humanitarian of the year by the Canadian Red Cross.

Political record: Elected leader of the governing party in August 2020, he was sworn in as premier later that month. He then led the Liberals to a majority in 2021, in a vote delayed several months by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Family: Furey and his wife Allison have three children, Maggie, Rachael and Mark.

Quote: “I know these are uncertain times, that the threat of tariffs and the erratic, unpredictable behaviour of the American president is causing daily stress and even fear. I wish I could tell you this is a short-term concern. Unfortunately, it is the reality not just of the next four weeks or four months, but the next four years. But we have survived much worse … and we are in the best possible position to do so again.” — Furey announcing his resignation on Feb. 25, 2025.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2025.

The Canadian Press

The RCMP says a 16-year-old has been charged in connection with a stabbing near Halifax on Monday.

According to police, officers were called to the Cobequid Road bus terminal just before 1 p.m. to reports of an altercation involving about 15 people.

“All those involved had dispersed and left the scene in vehicles before officers arrived,” a media release read. “Responding officers located one of the vehicles nearby and conducted a traffic stop.The youth passenger was observed to be suffering from a stab wound.”

The Mounties says officers administered first aid and the youth was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Around 8 p.m. Monday, a 16-year-old was arrested at a home in Beaverbank. They’ve been charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and more.

Police say the people involved in the incident know each other and this isn’t believed to have been a random act.

The investigation is ongoing.

"The Commissioner requests that Bill 1 be withdrawn to allow for meaningful consultation with our office and with all stakeholders."

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CHICAGO (AP) — Pilots on a Southwest Airlines flight attempting to land at Chicago’s Midway Airport were forced to make the plane climb suddenly to avoid another aircraft crossing the runway.

Airport webcam video posted to X shows the Southwest plane appear to briefly touch down about 8:50 a.m. CST Tuesday before its nose was abruptly pulled up as the second plane is seen on the runway.

Southwest Flight 2504 safely landed “after the crew performed a precautionary go-around to avoid a possible conflict with another aircraft that entered the runway,” an airline spokesperson said in an email. “The crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident.”

In radio communications with air traffic control, a pilot on the Southwest flight can be heard asking “how’d that happen?”

The second plane, described as a business jet, entered the runway without authorization, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said in a statement that it is investigating the incident.

The Southwest Flight was enroute to Midway Airport from Omaha, Nebraska, according to FlightAware.

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Seven planets grace the sky at the end of February in what’s known as a planetary parade, though some will be difficult to spot with the naked eye.

These planetary hangouts happen when several planets appear to line up in the night sky at once. They’re not in a straight line, but are close together on one side of the sun.

The astronomical linkup is fairly common and can happen at least every year depending on the number of planets. A parade of four or five planets visible to the naked eye happens every few years, according to NASA.

A similar parade took place last June, but only two planets could be seen without any special equipment. Six planets were visible in January — four to the naked eye — and now a dim Mercury joins the gang.

This month, Venus, Mars and Jupiter are visible to the naked eye. A faint Saturn and Mercury are close to the horizon, making them hard to spot. Uranus and Neptune can be glimpsed with binoculars and telescopes.

To get in on the sighting, go outside on a clear, cloudless night after sunset. The planets will shine brighter than the stars, and Mars will look like a reddish-orange dot. Stargazing apps may help with where to look.

The planets will slowly make their exit through the spring.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Adithi Ramakrishnan, The Associated Press

VANCOUVER — A small First Nation on British Columbia’s Central Coast is taking the attorney general of Canada to court, arguing its Charter rights have been violated because the RCMP refuses to enforce its bylaws.

The Heiltsuk Tribal Council says in its lawsuit that the police are “emboldening drug dealers” and other wrongdoers to enter and stay on reserve lands by refusing to enforce its bylaws banning people engaged in dangerous activities.

Elected Chief Marilyn Slett says her community in Bella Bella, B.C., is experiencing a crisis due to drugs and drug trafficking and that harms from overdoses and sexual violence are made worse because of the police refusal to enforce Heiltsuk law.

Slett says if a non-Indigenous municipality, landowner or business asks for enforcement of a property law, the RCMP takes action without question, but when an Indigenous government makes the same request, they are refused.

The lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court argues that the Mounties’ refusal to act amounts to unequal and discriminatory treatment that infringes on the First Nation’s section 15 Charter rights to receive equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimination.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs says a failure by the RCMP to enforce bylaws is a Canada-wide problem that erodes the rule of law in First Nations communities.

He says even if communities know who the drug dealers are “it’s virtually impossible to shut them down” because the RCMP says there is nothing they can do.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2025.

The Canadian Press

The suspect in the fatal shooting of Uriah Black last week was driving a blue Honda CRV, investigators say. Police want to speak to anyone with information that could identify the vehicle, its owner or its current location. 

SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge in Seattle blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to halt the nation’s refugee admissions system Tuesday.

The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by major refugee aid groups, who argued that Trump’s executive order suspending the federal refugee resettlement program ran afoul of the system Congress created for moving refugees into the U.S.

Lawyers for the administration argued that Trump’s order was well within his authority to deny entry to foreigners whose admission to the U.S. “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.”

The plaintiffs include the International Refugee Assistance Project on behalf of Church World Service, the Jewish refugee resettlement agency HIAS, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, and individual refugees and family members. They said their ability to provide critical services to refugees — including those already in the U.S. — has been severely inhibited by Trump’s order.

Some refugees who had been approved to come to the U.S. had their travel canceled on short notice, and families who have waited years to reunite have had to remain apart, the lawsuit said.

Trump’s recent order said the refugee program — a form of legal migration to the U.S. — would be suspended because cities and communities had been taxed by “record levels of migration” and didn’t have the ability to “absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees.”

The federal refugee program has been in place for decades and helps people who have escaped war, natural disaster or persecution. Despite long-standing support from both parties for accepting thoroughly vetted refugees, the program has become politicized in recent years.

Trump also temporarily halted it during his first term, and then dramatically lowered the number of refugees who could enter the U.S. each year.

Last week a federal judge in Washington, D.C., refused to immediately block the Trump administration’s actions in a similar lawsuit brought by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. That case faces another hearing Friday.

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

So far only two other provinces — Ontario and British Columbia — have signalled they might introduce similar legislation, although Houston insists that other provincial governments are "excited" about following suit.

The post Facing Trump tariffs, Houston introduces bill to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has tabled a bill aimed at reducing interprovincial trade barriers, and he is looking for other provinces and territories to do the same.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Dan Driscoll to be the next Army secretary, voting 66-28 to put the former soldier and Iraq War veteran at the helm of the service.

Driscoll, 38, of North Carolina, had served as an adviser to Vice President JD Vance, whom he met when both were attending Yale Law School. He served in the Army for less than four years and left at the rank of first lieutenant.

During his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, Driscoll noted that his father and grandfather served in the Army and he vowed to be a secretary focused on the needs of soldiers.

“We are a family that is grateful to have had the privilege of wearing the uniform of the United States Army,” he said during the hearing. “We are a family that understands the gravity of leading soldiers in and out of combat.”

Driscoll takes over an Army that has been moving steadily to overcome recruiting shortfalls through a sweeping overhaul of its programs and staffing, while also revamping and modernizing its weapons systems.

He also will have to deal with the repercussions of the chaotic and confusing new personnel decisions coming out of the Trump administration’s campaign to slash the government workforce. Officials have to ensure that the cuts don’t erode national security.

Driscoll’s Senate hearing was largely unconfrontational and focused on how the Army could modernize its systems, improve recruiting and beef up the military industrial base.

Asked if he would work to implement reforms aimed at reducing sexual assault in the military, he said he wanted an Army that his daughter could join with no fear of such threats.

He said he would set a “culture where that is not tolerated in any way.”

He also got tough questions from senators on his willingness to follow the law.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., both pressed Driscoll on whether he would decline to follow unlawful orders from the president or defense secretary, including ones related to the use of active duty soldiers for law enforcement at the border.

He responded, “I reject the premise that the president or secretary of defense would ask for an order like that. But I will always follow the law.”

When asked by Slotkin if he would support revoking the pension of an honorably discharged Army officer, however, he declined to answer directly, saying the question was “hypothetical.”

Slotkin noted that the issue is not hypothetical and actually has come up in connection with potential political reprisals against retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump has already moved to strip Milley of his security clearance and protective detail.

Pushed for an answer, Driscoll said, “I do support the president’s right to execute a lawful order.”

Both Duckworth and Slotkin voted against him.

According to the Army, Driscoll served as an armor officer from August 2007 to March 2011, deploying to Iraq from October 2009 to July 2010.

He ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for a North Carolina congressional seat in 2020, getting about 8% of the vote in a crowded field of candidates.

Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Supporters of separatist Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik rallied on Tuesday as tensions soared on the eve of a scheduled court verdict that could order the pro-Russia Serb leader banned from politics or even sentenced to prison.

A court hearing in Bosnia is set for Wednesday to hand down the ruling in a yearlong case against Dodik on charges that he disobeyed the top international envoy overseeing peace in the Balkan country.

If convicted, Dodik could face up to five years in prison and a ban from engaging in politics for up to 10 years.

Dodik has said that he would disobey any conviction and threatened “radical measures” in response, including eventual secession of the Serb-run entity in Bosnia called Republika Srpska from the rest of the country.

Bosnia’s civil war pitted Bosniaks, who are mostly Muslims, Serbs and Croats against each other and ended with a U.S.-sponsored peace agreement in 1995 that created two regions, Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation.

The two regions were given wide autonomy, but kept some joint institutions, including the army, top judiciary and tax administration. Bosnia also has a rotating three-member presidency made up of Bosniak, Serb and Croat members.

Dodik said that he wouldn’t attend Friday’s court hearing. He’s unlikely to be sent to prison, because he enjoys the full support of Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, who can provide shelter to him in Belgrade. Dodik is also expected to appeal a possible conviction.

He has repeatedly called for the separation of the Serb-run half of Bosnia, which prompted the United States and the United Kingdom to impose sanctions against him and his close allies. Dodik is also accused of corruption and pro-Russia policies.

Dodik’s separatist threat stoke fears in Bosnia, where ethnic carnage from 1992-95 left 100,000 people killed and displaced millions. The Dayton Accords ended the war nearly three decades ago.

Dodik has had Russian support for his separatist policies. He has also openly praised U.S. President Donald Trump, while guests at the support rally on Tuesday included former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Dodik’s supporters waved flags with his image during the rally, which several thousand people attended in the northwestern town of Banja Luka.

He told the crowd that the trial against him was directed against Serbs in Bosnia.

“They could not put you all in prison, so they chose me instead,” he told the crowd.

Earlier on Tuesday, High Representative Christian Schmidt, who is in charge of the international body in Bosnia that oversees the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Accords, sought to assure Bosnia’s citizens that the situation in the country would remain stable.

“Be assured, the international community remains vigilant,” Schmidt said. “The international community remains firmly committed to peace and stability in this region. (The unity of) Bosnia and Herzegovina is not negotiable.”

Dodik has repeatedly clashed with Schmidt and declared his decisions illegal in Republika Srpska. The Dayton peace agreement envisages that the high representative can impose decisions and change laws in the country.

The war in Bosnia erupted when the country’s Serbs rebelled against the country’s independence from the former Yugoslavia and moved to form a mini-state of their own with the aim of uniting it with neighboring Serbia.

Like other countries in the troubled Balkans, Bosnia is seeking European Union membership but progress has been slow.

Radul Radovanovic, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Tuesday that people who win early rulings in civil rights cases won’t necessarily be able to recover their legal fees, a finding that both conservative and liberal groups had argued could make it harder to fight for people’s rights in court.

The high court ruled 7-2 against Virginia drivers who sued after their licenses were suspended under a law they argued was unconstitutional. The drivers won an early court order blocking enforcement of the law, but then Virginia repealed the measure and the case ended before the judge reached a final determination.

Most of the time, each side pays its own legal costs in court. But plaintiffs who win civil rights cases can get the losing side to pay their legal fees under an exception to the law aimed at making it easier for people to press those claims in court.

In the Virginia case, the state petitioned to the justices after an appeals court found it should pay the drivers’ attorneys’ fees. The state argued that because the drivers had won a preliminary injunction rather than a final court determination, it shouldn’t have to cover their legal fees.

Advocacy groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the Second Amendment-supporting Firearms Policy Coalition had weighed in on the side of the drivers. They said many cases are determined at the preliminary injunction stage and fewer people would be willing to challenge the government in court if they might have to bear the burden of potentially hefty legal fees even if they make a persuasive case.

But the Supreme Court found that winning at an early stage isn’t enough, since the outcome can change after a trial plaintiffs must win on the merits to recoup their legal fees.

The concern that governments could derail a case by changing a law if they lose at the preliminary injunction stage are only speculative, and apply to only a small number of cases, the majority found. The opinion was written by Chief Justice John Roberts, and joined by his five fellow conservatives as well as a liberal-leaning justice, Elena Kagan. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented.

Lindsay Whitehurst, The Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The aspirations of Florida’s first lady Casey DeSantis have long been a topic of discussion in the state capital of Tallahassee. This week, her husband Gov. Ron DeSantis added to the speculation by talking her up as his potential successor.

Florida law limits governors to two consecutive terms, meaning the popular Republican governor can’t run for reelection in 2026 — though he theoretically could run for the office again in the future.

As he approaches the end of his second term, DeSantis is promoting his wife and confidant, while taking shots at President Donald Trump ‘s pick for the job, Rep. Byron Donalds.

“All these people are chattering about her running. And what I said was, you know … she’s never angled for anything, right? Because that’s just not who she is,” DeSantis, 46, said Monday while speaking to reporters.

“But I will tell you this,” he added, “She would do better than me. Like, there’s no question about that.”

Here’s what to know about Casey DeSantis.

She’s known as one of Ron’s top advisors

Casey DeSantis has long been considered one of her husband’s top advisors and confidantes. Even among his admirers, the governor is known for having a small circle of trust and little patience for the nuts and bolts of building political relationships: shaking hands and making phone calls. But his relationship with his wife is one that has lasted.

She was one of her husband’s top surrogates as he challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. A 44-year-old mom of three young children, the first lady tried to display a softer side of the power couple on the campaign trail in Iowa, where voters put a premium on personal connections and unscripted interactions.

Casey DeSantis sometimes drew more applause than her husband, speaking most often about the couple’s kids, and the importance of family and community.

She’s a former TV journalist

An Ohio native, Casey DeSantis later moved to South Carolina and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of Charleston before working as a producer and on-air host for the PGA Tour and then as a reporter and anchor for two television stations in Jacksonville, Florida.

Working her way up to become a local daytime talk show host, DeSantis developed her on-air presence, honed her knowledge of media strategy and boosted her brand, before stepping down as her husband launched his first bid for governor in 2018.

She’s pushed her own initiatives in Tallahassee

Casey DeSantis has played an active role in her husband’s administration, advocating for children, families, and people with mental health issues. She often appears with him, kids in tow, at bill signings, fundraisers and other events.

Hope Florida is among the initiatives she’s led since her husband became governor. The state program helps match residents with financial struggles to faith-based organizations, nonprofits and community groups for support with groceries, housing assistance and job training.

The first lady has also worked with the state’s Department of Education to develop “character standards” to be taught in Florida schools, helping students learn the importance of values like resiliency, responsibility and respect.

She’s a cancer survivor

The governor announced in 2021 that Casey had been diagnosed with breast cancer. After undergoing surgery and chemotherapy treatments, she was declared cancer-free in 2022.

The first lady has spoken about the importance of early screenings and interventions and traveled the state to meet with patients and raise awareness. Following her diagnosis, the governor approved $100 million in recurring funding for cancer research and care.

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Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Kate Payne, The Associated Press

A judge has refused to overturn a decision made last year by a federal fisheries official to maintain the total annual quota for the Maritime juvenile eel fishery at 9,960 kilograms, a number that hasn't budged for two decades.