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2 Pakistani soldiers and 5 insurgents are killed in a shootout on the border with Afghanistan

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:24 GMT

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A group of Pakistani Taliban ambushed troops during an operation against insurgents on the border with Afghanistan on Monday, triggering a shootout that killed an army major, a junior officer and five militants, the military and a militant spokesman said.The shootout happened in the district Zhob in Baluchistan province, the military said in a statement.Pakistani Taliban in a statement claimed responsibility for attacking the troops.The Pakistani Taliban are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who in August 2021 seized Afghanistan as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban, who have stepped up attacks against police and troops across the country, including Baluchistan. TTP also enjoy backing from local separatist groups who have also waged a low-level insurgen...

Deal struck on contentious road in divided Cyprus that triggered an assault against UN peacekeepers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:24 GMT

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in ethnically split Cyprus said Monday that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have reached an “understanding” over a contentious road inside a U.N.-controlled buffer zone whose construction had stirred up tensions not seen in years.U.N. envoy Colin Stewart said a “few modalities” were still being discussed, although the framework of the deal would take effect right away.Cyprus government officials said the deal meets the Turkish Cypriot demand for construction of the road linking the village of Arsos, in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, with the mixed Greek Cypriot-Turkish Cypriot village of Pyla, inside the buffer zone and abutting the Greek Cypriot south, where the island’s internationally recognized government is seated.But Turkish military guard posts inside the buffer zone will be removed, there will be no Turkish or Turkish Cypriot military or police presence permitted there and the U.N.’s jurisdiction of t...

Police to expand presence downtown ahead of planned protests around Israel-Hamas war

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:24 GMT

Demonstrations are expected on Monday in downtown Toronto as the war in the Middle East intensifies.Police announced officers will be present at Mel Lastman Square and Nathan Phillips Square to ensure the crowds stay safe and the demonstrations are peaceful.Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue will provide an update on the planned demonstrations at 11:30 a.m. Monday.Drivers and pedestrians are advised to expect traffic delays and congestion in the city because of the large gatherings.Israel formally declared war on Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas for the surprise attack on Saturday.More than 1,100 people have been killed and thousands wounded on both sides. Major airlines have suspended flights to Israel.Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow issued a statement, saying she is aware of the unsanctioned rally at Nathan Phillips Square.“The Government of Canada has rightly listed Hamas as a terrorist organization and we simply must ...

1 man injured in shooting at Brampton home

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:24 GMT

One person is in hospital following a shooting at a Brampton home on Sunday night.Police were called to a residence on Remembrance Road around 9:30 p.m.Officers found a man with serious injuries and he was taken to a trauma centre for treatment.Another man has been arrested.It is unclear if the two men were known to each other and no further details about the victim are available at this time.

Bob Odenkirk used to make up zany poems. He and his daughter Erin have turned them into a kids’ book

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:24 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bob Odenkirk has known he wanted to immortalize the playful poems he created with his kids since they were first scribbled down years ago.The Emmy-nominated actor always assumed “Zilot & Other Important Rhymes,” hitting shelves Tuesday, would be a project he completed once his son and daughter had long been out of the house. “Maybe when I was a grandpa,” he mused.But when the entire family hunkered down under the same roof for the better part of 2020, he and his daughter Erin, the younger of the two siblings, wanted to create something that fosters wonder and joy in children in the midst of abundant despair.“We tried to make the most of the limitations, the situation. But you know, that was a hard time for everyone in the country,” Odenkirk recalled of the coronavirus pandemic. “Erin’s an illustrator and an artist. And I thought, ‘Let’s just get to work on that book.’”So they dusted off the whimsical rhymes they had collaborated on nearly two decades ago. Oden...

Man sexually assaulted girl, 9, as she shopped with her mother: Toronto police

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:24 GMT

Toronto police are trying to identify a man wanted in the alleged sexual assault of a young girl as she shopped with her mother at Dufferin Mall.Investigators were notified of a sexual assault just after 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, in the Dufferin Street and Bloor Street West area.Police said a mother and her 9-year-old daughter were shopping when an unknown man approached the girl from behind and sexually assaulted her.The girl’s mother confronted the man, who then fled.The man is described as 40 to 50 years old, around six feet, with long brown hair in a ponytail, unshaven facial hair and black teeth.He was last seen wearing a black shirt, jeans, and light-coloured running shoes with green soles.Police have released images of the suspect.

An independent inquiry opens into the alleged unlawful killings by UK special forces in Afghanistan

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:24 GMT

LONDON (AP) — An independent inquiry opened Monday to examine claims that British special forces murdered dozens of Afghan men during counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan a decade ago, as well as allegations that authorities subsequently covered up the alleged illegal activity or failed to investigate it properly.The inquiry, which opened at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, focuses on alleged unlawful killings that took place during night raids carried out by elite military units in the war-torn nation between 2010 and 2013. Families of those killed say they were innocent and unarmed civilians, and called on the inquiry to unearth the truth. In one case, family members allege that nine men were shot in their beds during a raid. The British military has said that soldiers were acting in self-defense. The investigation is expected to hear submissions on behalf of the families of 33 people, including eight children, who were allegedly killed by special forces.“Let there be...

Airlines halt flights in and out of Israel after a massive attack by Hamas ignites heavy fighting

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Major airlines have suspended flights in and out of Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas. Israel hit more than 1,000 targets in Gaza and Palestinian militants continued firing barrages of rockets, setting off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Video posted online appeared to show a plume of smoke near a terminal at Ben Gurion International Airport.Scores of arriving and departing flights at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport were canceled or delayed, according to the airport’s online flight board.American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest. American suspended service to Tel Aviv through Friday. The airline said that it has issued a travel alert providing additional flexibility for customers whose travel plans are impacted. “We continue to monitor the situation with safety and security ...

Stock market today: Oil prices and defense stocks climb as Middle East violence rattles markets

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices are climbing, and stocks are slipping Monday as violence in the Middle East injects more unease into financial markets worldwide.The S&P 500 was 0.2% lower in its first trading since Hamas launched a surprise attack over the weekend against Israel, which then formally declared war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 26 points, or 0.1%, as of 9:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.7% lower.The area under conflict is not home to major oil production, but fears that the fighting could spill into the politics around the crude market sent a barrel of U.S. oil up 3.9% to $85.96. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 3.5% to $87.57 per barrel.One potential outcome is that the Israel-Hamas fighting could lead to a slowdown in Iranian oil exports, which have been growing this year, according to Barclays energy analyst Amarpreet Singh.It could also hurt the possibility of a potential improvement in relations between Israel and Saud...

EU Commission suspends ‘all payments immediately’ to the Palestinians following the Hamas attack

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:24 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said Monday the bloc is suspending “all payments immediately” to the Palestinians because of what he called the “scale of terror and brutality” during the attacks of Hamas against Israel.The surprise announcement by Varhelyi came just hours after EU officials stressed that no EU money whatsoever was going to Hamas in the first place and that contacts had been frozen for 16 years. The EU considers Hamas a terror group.Queries about what the move entailed and whether it would hit all humanitarian aid to Palestinians were not immediately answered. Varhelyi said that “as the biggest donor of the Palestinians, the European Commission is putting its full development portfolio under review,” which he said amounted to 691 million euros. It was not immediately clear what funds were included and excluded.Varhelyi said that the measures include that “all payments (be) immediately suspended. All projects put under review. All new budge...