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Some Catholic bishops reject Pope’s stance on blessings for same-sex couples. Others are confused

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:50 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — In an extraordinary pushback against Pope Francis, some Catholic bishops in Africa, Poland and elsewhere say they will not implement the new Vatican policy allowing blessings for same-sex couples.Others downplayed the policy approved this week by Francis as merely reaffirming the Vatican’s long-standing teaching about marriage being only a union between a man and a woman.The reactions show how polarizing the issue remains and how Francis’ decade-long effort to make the church a more welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ community continues to spark resistance among traditionalist and conservative Catholic leaders.Some of the strongest responses came from bishops in Africa, home to 265 million Catholics, or nearly a quarter of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics. Many of those Catholics live and their churches operate in societies where homosexuality is condemned and outlawed. Out of the continent’s 54 countries, 31 have laws criminalizing homo...

Sarah Gadon reflects on working with famed director Michael Mann in ‘Ferrari’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:50 GMT

TORONTO — Michael Mann may be known for his films showcasing the entrapments of masculinity, but between the roaring engines and bespoke Italian suits in his latest biopic “Ferrari,” it’s the strong and fascinating female characters that round out the Hollywood auteur’s work, Canadian screen star Sarah Gadon says.“Ferrari” stars Adam Driver aged up two decades to play the titular, mythic role of Enzo Ferrari during a turbulent few months in the Italian automaker’s life, when his private and professional lives threatened to careen out of control. Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley and Patrick Dempsey star in supporting roles, and Toronto-born Gadon has a small but emotionally critical role as Hollywood actress Linda Christian, the love interest of one of Ferrari’s race car drivers.“It’s a small role, it’s not one of the lead roles, but the amount of detail [Mann] put toward what her function was in the story and the resea...

More Cantaloupe-related illnesses reported in Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:50 GMT

A cantaloupe recall continues after more Salmonella illnesses linked to Malichita- and Rudy-brand melons were reported in Canada.According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the total number of cases has risen to 164, with seven deaths across eight provinces reported.The PHAC says infections have been reported in B.C., Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.Most of the people who fell ill are children five years and younger, as well as adults 65 and older. The PHAC says many of these people live in long-term care, as well as retirement and assisted living facilities, or attended daycare.“Many of the individuals who became sick reported having eaten cantaloupe before their illnesses occurred,” the PHAC said in its updated warning Friday.OUTBREAK UPDATE: New illnesses continue to be reported in the Salmonella outbreak linked to Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes. There are a total of 164 cases ...

Greece to offer exclusive Acropolis visits outside of regular hours — for a steep price

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:50 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Fancy seeing the ancient Acropolis uncluttered by thousands of selfie-snappers? A solution is in the works, but it will set you back up to 5,000 euros ($5,500).Starting April 1 2024, Greece plans to offer exclusive guided tours of its most powerful tourist magnet to handfuls of well-heeled visitors outside normal opening hours.The measure is part of an overhaul of ticketing policy for Greece’s archaeological sites and museums, which will see across-the-board increases as of April 2025.An official at Greece’s Culture Ministry said Friday that the new Acropolis service will apply to a maximum four groups of up to five people each. It will cost 5,000 euros ($5,500) per group, although individuals prepared to cover the full group fee are welcome to visit on their own. Nikoletta Divari-Valakou, head of the ministry’s cultural resources development, said the proceeds will be plowed back into cultural projects.“We decided to implement (the measure) &...

New Junction studio aims to improve local access to DJ arts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:50 GMT

DJ equipment costs a pretty penny and this financial barrier blocks many Torontonians from learning the artform.The Junction’s DJing community has seen ups and downs since the COVID-19 pandemic flatlined work opportunities. Rebuilding now means bringing in new talent to the neighbourhood in Toronto’s west end.Offshore Studio set up shop in The Junction in October to teach locals who want DJing skills without the financial stress of purchasing expensive equipment.Students can book low-cost sessions or free introductory sessions. Offshore co-founders Tevis Spence, Miles Freedom and Joseph Clarke aim to create an accessible space that helps experienced DJs and beginners connect through music.“We’re trying to address the accessibility issue for DJing. It’s pretty expensive to get DJ jobs, especially just for a young person or even if you’ve been working forever and you kind of just want to get started or kind of get back into deejaying,” Spence ...

Lone gunman in Czech mass shooting had no record and slipped through cracks despite owning 8 guns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:50 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — Czech politicians tend to boast that their country is one of the safest in the world from gun violence. But the worst mass killing in the nation’s history this week — along with other shootings over the last decade — suggest that might not be true.At the Faculty of Arts department at Charles University, where 14 people were killed and dozens wounded Thursday, the shooter was an excellent student, police said. But the 24-year-old also had a proclivity for firearms, with a license to own eight guns, including two long guns, police said.Authorities said the lone assailant had no criminal record and therefore did not attract the attention of authorities. “This kind of attack is really hard to prevent,” Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said Friday.The shooter, who killed himself as police closed in, is believed to have been Czech. Police chief Tomas Vondrasek said officers found an arsenal of weapons with a lot of ammunition that the suspect had to carry unnoticed to the unive...

Toronto police expecting several major protests leading up to Christmas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:50 GMT

Toronto police are anticipating another round of demonstrations in the downtown core this weekend and are reminding people to remain respectful on the heels of recent protests in the city that became heated.Deputy Police Chief Lauren Pogue, in an update from Toronto police headquarters on Friday, says all residents have a right to protest but there are certain actions that officers will not be tolerating.“We respect people’s charter rights and we are always present to facilitate demonstrations that are lawful,” says Pogue. “Lawful demonstrations do not include protesting in privately owned spaces, blocking critical infrastructure, or causing disturbances at the expense of other residents.”“It certainly does not include intimidation, harassment, or hateful behaviour.”Pogue says police are aware of several major demonstrations planned for this weekend and if protesters refuse to leave private property when asked, they could be arrested.“Please...

Group pushes for change in how police use body camera footage in officer shooting probes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An influential policing think tank is pushing law enforcement agencies to change how they handle body camera footage after police shootings, saying officers should not be able to review video before making their first statements to investigators.The Police Executive Research Forum changed its position in a report released Friday, nearly 10 years after the group was first tapped by the Justice Department to write guidelines for agencies adopting body cameras. The technology has swept the country’s police since. Now 79% of the country’s local police work in departments that use them. They’re in use in all cities of more than 1 million people, and Portland, Oregon, became the latest major city to adopt them in November. “Having a body camera in your department is now expected,” said Chuck Wexler, the group’s executive director.The technology has been key in cases like the death of Tyre Nichols, where body camera footage showed how he was brutally bea...

TFI International announces deal to acquire Daseke for $8.30 per share

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:50 GMT

MONTREAL — TFI International Inc. says it’s acquiring Daseke Inc. for $8.30 in cash per common share. The Montreal-based transportation and logistics company says the deal is expected to close during the second quarter of 2024. The firm says after the merger, Daseke will continue to operate its brands as part of TFI’s truckload segment. Over the medium term, TFI says it will evaluate the potential benefits of splitting the truckload segment from its other segments into two public companies. TFI says the total enterprise value of the deal is around $1.1 billion. Shares in TFI were up more than six per cent in mid-day trading. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:TFII)The Canadian Press

Michael Mann still has another gear. At 80, he’s driving ‘Ferrari’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Mann, who gave Crockett a white Ferrari on “Miami Vice,” pummeled cars with bullets in the shootout in “Heat” and set the thriller “Collateral” in a taxicab, has had an affection for automobiles since growing up in Chicago.“It’s a city in which you drive, you know?” Mann says. “It rains and things get quite beautiful. The streets get black and the cars get reflective. I like motion. I like speed.”Mann has also been a racing hobbyist. Off and on for years, he competed in the Ferrari Challenge — a four-day race, he fondly recalls, during which “the rest of the world just goes away.” So, the driving instructions that Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) gives in Mann’s latest film, “Ferrari” — “Break later, hold the line” — are familiar to him.“Let me put it this way,” Mann said, grinning, in a recent interview. “At one point I was practicing on a road in Atlanta and I did 75 laps without stopping.”But what Mann remembers from those laps — or at least the four of five goo...