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Most Europeans agree with Macron on China and US, report shows

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:17 GMT

Close to three-quarters of Europeans — 74 percent — think the Continent should cut its military dependence on the U.S. and invest in its own defensive capabilities, a new report released Wednesday by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) shows.The report, based on a poll with 16,168 respondents from 11 countries, also shows that majorities in every surveyed country want Europe to remain neutral in any conflict between the U.S. and China over Taiwan — in line with recent statements from French President Emmanuel Macron on the topic.In an interview with POLITICO in April, the French leader said “the great risk” Europe faces is that it “gets caught up in crises that are not ours” — including Taiwan — preventing Europe from “building its strategic autonomy,” adding that the Continent should resist becoming “America’s followers.”“The chief takeaway from our survey is that Europeans want to see the EU become more self-reliant in foreign policy ...

Marcus Stroman’s $20K Pride month donations show the Chicago Cubs pitcher ‘wants to be more than an ally’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:17 GMT

An unexpected call from Roc Nation’s sports division came through to Brave Space Alliance early Thursday.Shortly before Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman’s Pride month posts went live on his social media pages, his agency reached out to the Black- and trans-led LGBTQ+ nonprofit based in Chicago. Stroman, the organization was told, was donating $20,000 to Brave Space Alliance to aid its work on the South and West sides.“I’m going to be very frank: It saves lives — $20,000 saves lives,” Brave Space Alliance deputy CEO Jae Rice told the Tribune. “We save lives. We perpetuate in dignity. Dignity is our biggest resource that we give out to folks. It’s an LGBTQ center that wants to make sure that folks aren’t just thriving, they are dignified in the way that they thrive and live their lives.”Among Brave Space Alliance’s largest initiatives is a Hyde Park food pantry. It spends nearly $10,000 a month to run it, including n...

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum launches long-shot bid for 2024 GOP presidential nomination

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:17 GMT

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, adding his name to the long list of contenders hoping to dent former President Donald Trump’s early lead in the race.Burgum, 66, made the announcement in the The Wall Street Journal and was expected to kick off his campaign Wednesday in the city of Fargo, where he lives and which is near the tiny farm town of Arthur, where he grew up.Known to few outside North Dakota, Burgum faces an immense challenge in a field dominated by Trump and the better-known governor in the race, Ron DeSantis of Florida.As evidence of Burgum’s long odds, he isn’t even the most notable candidate to announce a presidential campaign on Wednesday. Four hundred miles to the south, former Vice President Mike Pence was launching his White House bid in Iowa, taking on the president he served loyally for four years.Burgum, a former computer software entrepreneur, plans to visit early voting states right away. He w...

Dollarama reports $179.9M Q1 profit, up from $145.5M a year ago, sales up 20.7%

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:17 GMT

MONTREAL — Dollarama Inc. says it earned $179.9 million in its latest quarter, up from $145 .5 million in the same quarter a year earlier, as its sales gained 20.7 per cent.The retailer says its profit amounted to 63 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended April 30, up from 49 cents per diluted share a year earlier.Sales in what was the company’s first quarter totalled $1.29 billion, up from $1.07 billion in the same quarter last year.The increase came as comparable store sales grew 17.1 per cent on a 15.5 per cent increase in the number of transactions and a 1.4 per cent increase in average transaction size.Dollarama says the increase in comparable store sales was attributable to strong demand across its offerings, including consumables, seasonal items and general merchandise. Analysts on average had expected a profit of 59 cents per share and $1.25 billion in sales, according to estimates compiled by financial markets data firm Refinitiv.This report by The Canadian Pre...

Soccer world waits for Messi’s decision with Al-Hilal, Barcelona and Inter Miami possible options

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:17 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The soccer world is waiting for Lionel Messi’s decision.The Argentina great, fresh off winning the World Cup in December, is essentially a free agent after bidding adieu to Paris Saint-Germain. The big question now surrounds where he will go next.Things are still up in the air, however, sparking frenzied rumors about the next destination of one of the greatest soccer players in history.There’s the possibility of moving to Saudi Arabia, where attempts to bring in some of soccer’s most high-profile — if aging — stars ratcheted up when the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund took a majority ownership stake of four of the country’s top clubs. They include Al-Nassr, the team of Cristiano Ronaldo since January; Al-Ittihad, the new team of reigning world player of the year Karim Benzema; and Al-Hilal, the team heavily linked with a move for the 35-year-old Messi.Messi, after all, has already established a relationship with Saudi Arabia by agreeing to a commercial contract w...

Three U.S. biologists win Spanish Asturias award for scientific and technical research

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:17 GMT

MADRID (AP) — U.S. biologists Jeffrey Gordon, Peter Greenberg and Bonnie Bassler won Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for Scientific and Technical Research for 2023 on Wednesday. The Princess of Asturias Award jury said the three were chosen for their contributions to research into the essential role of communities of microorganisms in life on earth.The panel said Gordon had “spearheaded the discovery and understanding of the human microbiome,” the vast number and diversity of microorganisms that live in the body and which play essential roles in health.Greenberg and Bassler have been acclaimed for their work in revealing mechanisms of communication between bacteria.The jury said the work of all three was “enabling innovative therapeutic applications and the search for new effective treatments against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.”Gordon is professor in the department of Medicine and Biological Chemistry at Washington University in Saint Louis, Mo.Bassler is chair of Princeton Un...

Global touts updated takes on ‘Matlock,’ ‘Robyn Hood’ as it details fall/winter plans

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:17 GMT

TORONTO — A modernized take on the Robin Hood legend, a gender-swapped “Matlock” and a show revolving around a “Good Wife” fan favourite are among the highlights of Global’s upcoming TV lineup.Corus’s flagship channel revealed a fall and winter schedule partly anchored by updated takes of past hits, including the CBS reboot of legal classic “Matlock” with Kathy Bates in the titular role, and CBS’s “The Good Wife” spinoff “Elsbeth” starring Carrie Preston.Also on deck is the homegrown series “Robyn Hood,” billed as a “contemporary re-imagining” from acclaimed Canadian music video director and filmmaker Julien Christian Lutz, also known as Director X.The eight-episode, one-hour series stars Jessye Romeo, Nykeem Provo and Ian Matthews.Also coming to Global is the Fox medical drama “Doc,” based on a successful Italian format, the CBS comedy “Poppa’s House” starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr., and 90-minute episodes of CBS’s “Survivor,” back with its 45th season.Corus ...

Tim Hortons launching new credit card through mobile rewards app

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:17 GMT

Tim Hortons is launching a credit card that can be used through its mobile app, the latest move into an increasingly competitive rewards space.Tims Financial is a new division of Tim Hortons that will offer a no-annual-fee Mastercard powered by Neo Financial, the company said in a press release Wednesday.The card will be launched in the coming months, but interested customers can sign up for a waitlist on the Tims Financial website.Customers will be able to earn Tims Rewards Points on most purchases, including on many gas, grocery and transit purchases, and extra points at Tim Hortons restaurants.“There are millions of Canadians who are actively seeking better and accessible financial products,” said Markus Sturm, senior vice president of digital, loyalty and consumer goods at Tim Hortons, which is owned by Restaurant Brands International.The Tims Rewards app already has features like mobile order and scan and pay, making a new payment option the logical next step, said Sturm....

How to uncover and address your teen’s money fears

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:17 GMT

Rumor has it teenagers only worry about their phones and their friends. But what if they worry about money, too?Research from the 2022 Junior Achievement Teens & Personal Finance Survey found that over 54% of teens feel unprepared for their financial futures. One way parents could help their kids feel more prepared is by addressing their money fears.UNCOVER YOUR TEEN’S MONEY FEARSThere are several ways to learn about your teen’s money fears, but a good place to start is by looking at yours.“(Parents) have to look at their own issues because what you bring to the table is what your kids are going to pick up, even if you tell them to do the opposite,” says Michele Paiva, a Downingtown, Pennsylvania-based licensed psychotherapist whose work focuses on trauma recovery, and financial education and therapy.Get introspective about what your feelings about money are and how that might show up in your home. For instance, if you’re always arguing with your partner about their or your spen...

A look at Pope Francis’ health over the years

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:17 GMT

By The Associated Press (AP) — Pope Francis has had three hospitalizations since he was elected pope in 2013, and underwent major surgery as a young man to have part of one lung removed. In between, the 86-year-old pontiff has suffered from bouts of sciatica, or nerve pain, that have made walking and standing difficult. More recently, he strained his knee ligaments and had a small fracture in one knee that have forced him to use a wheelchair and walker for over a year.Francis has a personal physician, Dr. Roberto Bernabei, who is an internist and geriatric specialist at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. He also has a personal nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, an employee of the Vatican health system whom Francis credited with saving his life when Strappetti diagnosed the 2021 intestinal problem. In 2022, Francis named Strappetti his “personal health care assistant.” Strappetti and Bernabei usually join Francis on his foreign trips.Here’s a look at the health of the ...