The Canadian
OTTAWA (The Canadian Press) - Justin Trudeau was expected Friday to put a woman in charge of the RCMP, signalling a culture change in the national police force which has been beset by complaints about sexual harassment and discrimination against female officers.
Sources say the prime minister will name Brenda Lucki as the new commissioner of the Mounties during a visit to the RCMP training academy at Regina's Depot division, where Lucki is currently the commanding officer.
A 31-year veteran of the force, Lucki has also served in the former Yugoslavia and assisted in the United Nations civilian police mission in Haiti.
She has received numerous commendations over the years, including a United National Force Commander's commendation for bravery, two UN protection forces medals, and the Canadian peacekeeping service medal. According to her RCMP biography, she is also a member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces in recognition of her work to improve relations with First Nations.
Lucki's appointment comes amid continuing embarrassing revelations about sexism and sexual misconduct in RCMP ranks, one year after commissioner Bob Paulson apologized for discrimination against female officers and agreed to a $100-million settlement of two class-action lawsuits.
It also comes at a time when the force's relations with Indigenous people are particularly strained.
The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP this week launched an investigation into how the Mounties handled the death of Colten Boushie, an Indigenous youth who was shot by a Saskatchewan farmer after driving onto his property. The farmer, Gerald Stanley, was acquitted last month, prompting accusations of bias against Indigenous people by both the police and the justice system as a whole.
The appointment follows the creation last year of an independent, non- partisan selection committee, headed by former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna, which earlier this year recommended three contenders for the top job.
In coming up with the short list of highly qualified candidates, the committee was specifically instructed to "seek to support the government of Canada's commitments to gender parity and representativeness of diversity" in its appointment process.
Lucki will become the first woman to permanently take the helm of the RCMP; Beverley Busson held the post on an interim basis for six months in 2007.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
EDMONTON (The Canadian Press) - Alberta Premier Rachel Notley is threatening to turn off the oil taps in a fight with British Columbia over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Notley won't say if she would cut off B.C. or the rest of Canada - or both - but says her government is ready to pass legislation to make it happen.
"Our key focus is getting people's attention on the matter," Notley told a news conference Thursday prior to the speech from the throne to open the next session of the legislature.
"We're not interested in creating any kind of crisis in any way, shape or form. We're going to be measured. We're going to be careful."
The $7.9-billion pipeline expansion would triple the amount of Alberta crude going from Edmonton to the port in Burnaby.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government approved the Kinder Morgan project in 2016, but the pipeline has since faced permit fights and challenges from the B.C. government.
Alberta has already imposed and pulled back on a ban of wine from B.C., but Notley said the government will not stand for further delays and harassment.
She said the project is vital to Alberta and to the rest of Canada, and the country is forgoing thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in lost revenue due to pipeline bottlenecks.
"There are many tools that we also have between our previous wine ban and this tool," said Notley.
"All we are doing is making sure that our tools are at the ready, because it is important for Albertans to understand that we are going to stand up to protect the interests of Albertans on this matter."
Notley said the province is looking at taking action on oil and natural gas.
Each day, Alberta currently exports 44,000 barrels per day of gasoline and 47,000 barrels of diesel to B.C., representing more than 20 per cent of its total production.
Alberta exports 2.4 billion cubic feet per day of marketable natural gas to B.C. per day, representing one quarter of its production. About 17 per cent of those exports are used by B.C., with the rest going to the United States.
Notley's announcement echoes action taken in 1980 by former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed in a showdown with the federal government.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
WASHINGTON (The Canadian Press) - Canada can breathe easier, for now: It's getting relief from U.S. tariffs for an undetermined period.
U.S. President Donald Trump is signing proclamations hammering global steel and aluminum imports with tariffs of 25 and 10 per cent. They go into effect in 15 days.
Trump is signing the documents at the White House, surrounded by steelworkers.
Only two countries are getting relief: Canada and Mexico.
Speaking in a briefing, a senior administration official says there's no end date set on the exclusions.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss matters in advance of them being made public, would not speak to the issue of whether the threat of tariffs would be used to bully Canada and Mexico at the NAFTA bargaining table, saying only that NAFTA is important to economic and national security.
The tariffs are being cast as a national security matter.
A provision in U.S. law allows the president to set emergency tariffs if it's a security issue. But the White House had been undermining its legal case in recent days. With the move sure to prompt international lawsuits and counter-measures, it's been describing the tariffs as a NAFTA bargaining ploy.
The White House is now avoiding that kind of talk.
It's also denying reports that it picked the tariff levels arbitrarily. The initial recommendation to Trump was for tariffs of 24 per cent on steel and 7 per cent on aluminum, but news reports have described the president seeking round numbers.
The White House official who delivered today's briefing says it was only upon careful consideration that Trump settled on those larger, rounder numbers of 25 and 10 per cent.
He did not explain how that version squares with the fact that the round numbers remain in effect, despite the entire formula being upended by the fact that major suppliers have now been excused from the tariffs.
Canada is the No. 1 seller of both steel and aluminum to the U.S. The fact that Canada could be on the initial hit list had become a political sore spot for the administration, as U.S. critics of the move ridiculed it by zeroing on the idea of national-security tariffs against a peaceful next-door neighbour and defence ally.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
RICHMOND, B.C. (The Canadian Press) - The son of an Iranian-Canadian professor who died in a Tehran prison fought back tears after he arrived in Canada on Thursday as he explained how his mother reacted when she wasn't allowed to board their flight from Iran.
Brothers Ramin and Mehran Seyed-Emami told reporters that moments before they boarded the flight to Vancouver, where they planned to start a new "peaceful" life, Iranian authorities confiscated their mother's passport and blocked her from leaving the country.
Speaking in the arrivals area at Vancouver International Airport, Ramin said they're hopeful Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, who has expressed "outrage" at their mother's detention, will succeed in pressuring Iran to allow her to come to Canada.
"They're trying to prevent us from rebuilding our lives," Ramin said of Iranian officials.
Freeland issued a statement Thursday welcoming Ramin and Mehran to Canada.
"At the same time, we were outraged to learn that their mother, Maryam Mombeini, Mr. Seyed-Emami's widow, was barred from leaving Iran for no apparent reason," she said.
"We call on the government of Iran to immediately give Maryam Mombeini, a Canadian citizen, the freedom to return home."
Freeland said Canada is continuing to demand answers from Iran on the circumstances surrounding the death of Mombeini's husband Kavous Seyed-Emami, a 63-year-old sociology professor who was being held at Tehran's notorious Evin prison earlier this year. Iranian authorities have said Seyed-Emami's death was a suicide, but the family and others have questioned that finding.
Seyed-Emami's death sparked new anger in Iran over the treatment of detainees, especially after nearly 5,000 people were arrested in the wake of nationwide protests at the start of the year.
Ramin said the family has faced intimidation by authorities since they began speaking out about his father's death.
"Instead of being able to grieve the loss of our father in peace, we have been forced to endure harassment by the Iranian authorities," said Ramin, who was born in Iran but also lived with his family in Canada and the United States.
It was difficult to say goodbye to his mother, said Ramin, a musician who performs under the stage name King Raam.
"She said, 'I just want you guys to be safe and away from this horrible place. Don't ever come back,' " he said, his voice cracking.
"I have friends with her at all times. I don't want her to be alone for one single second."
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
TORONTO (The Canadian Press) - A Toronto lawyer representing a disenfranchised member of Ontario's Progressive Conservatives says he's taken legal action in an effort to extend the party's leadership race by a week.
Jeffrey Radnoff said the Superior Court of Justice was scheduled to hear his application for an injunction on Friday morning, just hours before voting in the contentious race was scheduled to end.
The party ruled against prolonging the race late Wednesday, saying that would contravene its constitution, and instead decided to push back the registration deadline to Thursday night and let members vote until noon Friday.
But Radnoff said in an email late Thursday that his client, listed on the notice of application as Christopher Arsenault, had not received a personal identification number allowing him to vote.
"Clearly, a significant number of members of the party, including the applicant, have been deprived of their right to vote as guaranteed in the party's constitution," Radnoff wrote in an email.
The chair of the leadership organizing committee, Hartley Lefton, wrote in an email Thursday that the party's election is in accordance with the PC constitution. He noted that the voting period had already been extended once, and the verification period had its deadline pushed back three times.
"It is unfortunate to learn that certain individuals may be considering this step, after we have worked so closely with leadership campaigns and with party members from across the province on a leadership election process passed by the PC party executive in accordance with the constitution," Lefton wrote.
News of the court action came hours after one of the candidates vying for the top spot alleged that party "elites" were handpicking those who would be able to cast a ballot in the leadership election.
Former Toronto city councillor Doug Ford said key documents required to participate were sent by email to specific members while ignoring others - including his own mother - awaiting the same information.
Ford and the other candidates - former Progressive Conservative legislator Christine Elliott, Toronto lawyer and businesswoman Caroline Mulroney and parental rights activist Tanya Granic Allen - have all raised the alarm in recent days over the voting process.
Ford, Mulroney and Granic Allen have all pushed for the party to extend the leadership race by a week in order to ensure all members can participate.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
HALIFAX (The Canadian Press) - Nova Scotia's sweeping education reform bill has passed final reading in the legislature, only one week after it was introduced by Education Minister Zach Churchill.
The governing Liberals used their majority to pass Bill 72 by a vote of 25-21.
The legislation dissolves the province's seven regional school boards as of March 31 and replaces them with a 15-member provincial advisory council, while keeping local school advisory councils in place along with board administrations.
In another contentious move it takes principals, vice-principals and senior supervisory staff from the Nova Scotia Teachers Union and rolls them into a new association affiliated with the union.
Premier Stephen McNeil says he believes the changes will give communities a stronger voice because they will get direct access to the minister.
NDP education critic Claudia Chender calls the notion "absurd" and says the concerns of parents will end up falling to members of the legislature.
The legislation is largely based on recommendations contained in a report by consultant Avis Glaze.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
REGINA (The Canadian Press) - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told Liberal party supporters in Saskatchewan that more needs to be done to help Indigenous people.
Trudeau spoke to party enthusiasts in Regina at a fundraiser Thursday night.
His comments came only days after the Saskatchewan Crown decided not to appeal the verdict in the case of Colten Boushie, an Indigenous man who was fatally shot on a farm in 2016.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
TORONTO (The Canadian Press) - As the film and TV industries grapple with a flood of sexual misconduct allegations, Sunday's Canadian Screen Awards (CSA_ broadcast gala will give airtime to the homegrown #AfterMeToo campaign aimed at mobilizing reform on the issue.
Several recent awards shows have embraced the #MeToo and Time's Up women's empowerment movements with certain dress codes and remarks by hosts and guests.
The Canadian Screen Awards show won't have a dress code but has given some commercial time to the #AfterMeToo group, which recently partnered with the Canadian Women's Foundation to establish a fund for sexual violence support services.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, which puts on the show, also hosted two panels around the topic of sexual misconduct on Thursday as part of Canadian Screen Week.
The academy will also distribute #AfterMeToo pins on the red carpet for Sunday's gala, which honours the best in homegrown film and TV.
"I hope that raises awareness of the fact that this is not just a U.S. industry issue, it does happen here, we need to keep talking about it and we need to be finding our own solutions to it," said Beth Janson, the academy CEO.
"I appreciate the dress codes very much but I think that can also have the effect of sort of checking it off your to-do list, like, 'Yep, I'm done, I wore black, I really supported my people and now let's stop talking about it,'" she added.
"And I didn't think it was the academy's place to put a dress code into effect."
The academy had hoped to have its own code of conduct unveiled in time for this week but Janson said they didn't want it to get buried in the frenzy of the awards, so they'll be "working on it more in-depth post-Canadian Screen Week."
This year's Canadian Screen Awards have boasted "solid slate" of female nominees, who include "Ava" director Sadaf Foroughi and cinematographer Sina Kermanizadeh. That film is nominated for a leading eight awards, including best picture, as is "Never Steady, Never Still" by Kathleen Hepburn.
Also up for eight awards is "Hochelaga, Land of Souls" by Francois Girard, which was Canada's pick for the best foreign-language film category at this year's Oscars but ultimately didn't make the short list.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
ONTARIO (The Canadian Press) - Canada will use its presidency of the G7 to try to persuade the world's richest and most industrialized countries to adopt ambitious goals for plastics recycling and waste reduction.
"We are looking at a zero-plastics- waste charter," Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said Wednesday from Cancun, Mexico, where she was at an international conference on the world's oceans.
The idea of a plastics charter was first broached by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this year. The G7 is to meet in Quebec in June. McKenna said a plastics charter could go further than the European Union's plan to recycle at least half of its plastic packaging by 2030.
"We could build on goals like having 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging," she said in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press.
She said the time is right to take action. Major multinational companies such as Coca-Cola have been working toward having all their plastic packaging meet those requirements by 2030. Unilever's goal is 2025. "There's momentum from the business community, the environmentalists, from other governments, to actually take action on plastic and keep it out of the ocean."
Canada will also try to talk other countries into banning microbeads - tiny pieces of plastic found in products such as toothpaste and shower gels.
McKenna wants to stir interest not only in the G7, but also more broadly in G20 countries.
Industrialized nations could help others improve their waste management, she suggested.
"We know that developing countries need more support."
Consumer and business education could also be part of the solution. Businesses, for example, could be encouraged to adopt standard packaging to make recycling easier.
It would be up to individual countries to decide how to implement the goals of zero plastics waste, said McKenna. In Canada, the federal government could provide resources to municipalities to improve recycling.
"We can help drive the change as well."
Plastic waste in the ocean is becoming a major environmental issue. It's estimated as much as eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in the world's oceans each year - the equivalent of about 630 billion single-use plastic water bottles.
Canadians contribute their share. One estimate suggests nearly three billion plastic bags are used annually in Canada.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
TORONTO (The Canadian Press) - Organizers of a concert billed as "part vigil, part celebration" in the wake of the arrest of an alleged serial killer have responded to some of the concerns raised by members of Toronto's LGBTQ community.
LoveWins is a free music event planned for March 29 at Nathan Phillips Square, with a lineup that features Carole Pope and members of the Barenaked Ladies, the Forte Toronto Gay Men's Chorus and winners of CTV's "The Launch" music competition series.
Critics say the plans are tone deaf regarding what's actually happening in Toronto's LGBTQ community, as police continue to seek answers about a man who allegedly targeted gay men in the city for years.
Bruce McArthur, a 66-year-old self-employed landscaper, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder. All of his alleged victims had ties to the city's gay village.
A poster promoting the concert had been taken down from the LoveWins Facebook page as of Thursday night. It didn't mention McArthur by name but referenced "the series of killings that have rocked Toronto's LGBTQ community." Other performers in the lineup include American R&B singer Thelma Houston, former Nylons member Billy Newton Davis and "Canadian Idol" winner Theo Tams.
A number of sponsors were also named, including Scotiabank, Labatt, CBC and Bell Media, owner of CTV.
Plans for the event featuring a roster of known faces misses the mark for Toronto resident Jordan Pedde.
"It just feels like a giant corporate, political cachet on a grieving community," he said.
"There's definitely room for there to be something uplifting for the community, and some sort of gathering, but people are still in the grieving stages."
In a number of posts that have been deleted from the event's page, other Facebook users questioned several aspects of the concert, including why it appears few members of the local community were consulted or asked to perform.
They also suggested the organizers' description of the event, which calls it an evening when "the work of healing now begins," ignores that many questions about the killings remain unanswered.
Salah Bachir, co-organizer of LoveWins, said "a lot of people in the community" were looking for an event that emphasized its "strength and compassion." He said he didn't expect a negative reaction from some groups.
"There was so much that was going on, people were in shock and grieving, and we needed something that was uplifting as a community kind of thing, in light of all the murders," he said in a phone interview.
"There have been a couple different vigils and people have left them more depressed than ever."
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has agreed to a historic first meeting with Kim Jong Un in a stunning development in America's high-stakes nuclear standoff with North Korea.
Standing in front of the White House, South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong announced the first ever meeting between a U.S. president and North Korean leader, which he said would take place by the end of May.
Chung had recently returned from Pyongyang, where he met Kim, who, he said "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible."
Trump hailed "great progress" in the push to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program.
"Meeting being planned!" he tweeted. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time." "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached."
News of the summit, which South Korean President Moon Jae-in said was "like a miracle", is the latest step in a quickening diplomatic detente.
North and South Korea exchanged envoys as Pyongyang sent a delegation to the Winter Olympics in the South, which Seoul had dubbed the "Peace Games" and which saw the two countries marching under a unified flag.
The thaw came after a period of extreme tension between Washington and Pyongyang that sounded like the growing drumbeat of war.
Just months ago, Trump mocked Kim by calling him "little rocket man". Kim returned the favor by describing Trump as "mentally deranged" and a "dotard."
The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on opposite sides of a bloody war in the 1950s.
In the last two decades, they have been engaged in what is perhaps the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff, with 30,000 U.S. military personnel stationed just over the border in the South.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
SANTIAGO - Eleven nations signed a slimmed-down version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement Thursday, moving to lower tariffs just as U.S. President Donald Trump raised them after withdrawing from the deal.
The TPP, which would have represented 40 percent of the global economy and nearly one-quarter of its trade, was left for dead after Trump pulled out to pursue his "America First" agenda.
But the revamped deal, now known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), is still a significant achievement and a victory for openness, its supporters said at the signing ceremony in Santiago, Chile.
"We are proud to have completed this process, sending a strong message to the international community that opening markets, economic integration and international cooperation are the best tools to create economic opportunity and prosperity," said Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. The pact includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, representing together 13.5 percent of the global economy.
The 11 states form a market of 500 million people, greater than that of the European Union.
The deal was signed just before Trump slapped steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, setting up what many allies both at home and abroad warn could escalate into a global trade war.
Former president Barack Obama's administration pushed for the TPP as a counterweight to growing Chinese commercial power. It not only cut tariffs but required members to comply with a high level of regulatory standards in areas like labor law and environmental protection.
Fernando Estenssoro, of Chile's University of Santiago, says snubbing the pact is "a type of suicide" for the United States.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
BEIJING - China's chief central banker said on Friday the country could be more "courageous" in opening its markets, as European and American firms push for greater access to the world's second largest economy.
"Now that we have entered a new stage, we can be more courageous in opening our market to the outside world," said Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, during a news conference on the sidelines of the annual rubberstamp parliament in Beijing.
China has been considering opening to foreign financial firms since the late 1990s when it was preparing to join the World Trade Organization, Zhou said, blaming the delay on the global financial crisis.
But now leaders have taken the first tentative steps, allowing foreign firms to take majority stakes in financial firms operating in China. Last year, Beijing said it would liberalise foreign access within three years, permitting companies to own as much as 51 percent of financial firms - a welcome move for a key U.S. industry as trade tensions stir between the two countries.
And on Friday, deputy governor Yi Gang indicated the shareholding restrictions could be loosened or done away with altogether.
"This will reduce the discriminatory treatment of foreign-invested institutions, and bring about equal treatment for domestic and foreign investors," Yi said during the news conference.
But analysts question whether foreign firms will be able to make much headway in the country, with Beijing having delayed the move for so long that the opening may do little to threaten the dominance of homegrown financials.
Zhou also tore into cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin but adding that China was still interested in digital units.
"We don't like the idea of creating a speculative product that prompts people to fantasise about striking it rich overnight," he said. "This is not a good thing."
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
YANGON - An ultra-nationalist Myanmar monk was released from prison on Friday after serving time for inciting unrest in an anti-Rohingya protest in 2016, a rare punishment handed to one of the country's hardline Buddhist clergymen.
Parmaukkha, who was handed a three-month jail term, has helped peddle a fiery brand of Buddhist nationalism and Islamophobia in Myanmar, a country accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims.
The monk was arrested in November over a rally he held outside the U.S. Embassy in Yangon in April 2016 to protest against America's use of the word "Rohingya".
The Buddhist-majority nation refuses to recognize the Rohingya as citizens, referring pejoratively to the community as "Bengalis" and insisting they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
On Friday several dozen supporters cheered and scattered petals in front of Parmaukkha as he walked out of Yangon's notorious Insein prison at dawn before heading to pray at the city's iconic Shwedagon Pagoda.
"He has work to do...I love everything he does for religion and the nation," said Aye Lay, a 32-year-old supporter.
Anti-Muslim hate speech has been brewing in Myanmar for several years, often spilling over into bouts of bloodshed.
Religious hatred has surged in the wake of a ruthless military crackdown that has compelled 700,000 Rohingya to flee the country since August.
The U.N. says the campaign amounts to ethnic cleansing and possible genocide.
But many in the Buddhist majority support the crackdown, which the army says was needed to crush a Rohingya militant uprising.
Over the past year religious authorities have taken some steps to curb the influence of ultra-nationalist monks like Parmaukkha.
His release on Friday coincides with the end of a year-long public speaking ban on Wirathu - another firebrand monk known as the face of Myanmar's Buddhist nationalist movement.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
SYDNEY - The death toll from an earthquake that hit Papua New Guinea last month has topped 100 with thousands injured, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said Friday, warning it will take years for the region to recover.
The Pacific nation's mountainous interior was struck by a 7.5-magnitude tremor on February 26, triggering landslides that blocked roads, caused power outages and cut off villages.
Communities have also been rattled by strong aftershocks, sparking fears among disenchanted and suspicious residents that the shaking was somehow caused by oil and gas operations in the area.
"Tragically, the Highlands earthquake has already claimed the lives of an estimated more than 100 Papua New Guineans, with many more still missing and thousands of people injured," O'Neill said.
The premier has visited the devastated region and said his government and aid agencies were focused on delivering clean water, food and shelter to victims, and restoring electricity and communications.
"There will be no quick fix, the damage from this disaster will take months and years to be repaired," he said.
"The social damage to our communities is large, and this earthquake will be the source of sadness and sorrow for generations to come," the prime minister added, describing the plight of one woman who lost six relatives including children.
"This is a story of tragedy and loss that is repeated in village after village throughout the disaster area."
The remote Southern Highlands region is home to the impoverished country's biggest-ever development - the US$19 billion PNG LNG project operated by U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil.
Traumatised villagers are suspicious of the plant's operators and fearful they might have been using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and destabilized the rock structure underneath, the Post-Courier reported this week.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
JOHANNESBURG - Zimbabwe's ex-leader Robert Mugabe sent shockwaves through the party he dominated for decades when he posed with the retired general who will take on the ruling ZANU-PF in this year's election. Mugabe grinned broadly in the posed photo, standing beside brigadier general Ambrose Mutinhiri, the leader of opposition party the National Patriotic Front (NPF), which hopes to unseat the government in polls expected by August.
Mutinhiri's abrupt resignation from ZANU-PF last week followed by his surprise announcement that he would be the presidential candidate of the new party exposed deep divisions in the governing party.
The symbolism of the photo opportunity, which was featured at the top of a press release issued by the new pro-Mugabe splinter party, was unmistakable.
Two days later ZANU-PF Youth League supporters chanted "down with Mugabe" at a rally, a rare outburst from the normally disciplined members of the party that Mugabe led for nearly four decades.
A leader of the league, Pupurai Tigarepi, later said that if Mugabe "is not responsible, we are going to look at him as a new enemy".
In response to the hostility, the new president did little to defend the man who was once presented by ZANU-PF to the world as a liberation hero and father of the nation.
"There is an issue regarding the former president," said President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
"Currently we see in the media various speculations about his activities... we are not happy with what the media is saying. We don't know whether it's correct or not but it is an issue we are examining."
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
MIAMI - Florida lawmakers on Thursday passed a law prohibiting the US state from investing in companies that have business ties with the Venezuelan government.
Citing the socialist government's "use of extreme violence and political persecution," the law will now appear before state governor Rick Scott, who has expressed backing for the measure in the past and is expected to sign the bill this week or next.
"Together, we will continue to shine a light on the unacceptable political tyranny and violence that is inflicted by Maduro and his ruthless thugs," Scott said in a statement.
The state Congress hopes the bill will go into effect by July 1 this year.
The law prohibits the State Board of Administration from investing in stocks or other securities with any company that has business links with Caracas.
Florida taxpayer money may also not be used to trade with financial institutions or companies that extend credit to the Venezuelan government or to buy bonds or services which might benefit President Nicolas Maduro's administration.
"This legislation strengthens Florida's opposition to Maduro's brutal and oppressive regime," said Republican representative Jeanette Nunez. "I want to thank Governor Scott on his leadership and commitment to the Venezuelan people. Together, we will keep fighting to bring democracy to the people of Venezuela."
The bill was drawn up last July by Democratic Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez after the U.S. investment giant bought up almost $3 billion in Venezuelan government bonds for around a third of their face value.
The deal sparked the fury of the Venezuelan opposition, who accused Goldman Sachs of supporting a "dictatorship."
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
BOGOTA - Colombia's FARC said Thursday it is pulling out of the country's presidential race after its candidate, 59-year-old ex-guerrilla leader Rodrigo "Timochenko" Londono, suffered a heart attack.
Ivan Marquez, a senate candidate and senior member of the political party formed by the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels, told reporters that party members decided not to field a candidate after Londono underwent open heart surgery on Wednesday.
Since the peace deal struck with the government of outgoing President Juan Manuel Santos in late 2016, the FARC gave up its half-century armed struggle and became a political party keeping the same acronym.
Colombia's presidential election is scheduled for May 27, with a possible runoff vote set for mid-June.
Surveys showed that Londono - candidate for the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force - had just one percent voter support.
Marquez however said his party is not dropping out of the legislative elections set for Sunday.
Under the peace accord the former rebels are guaranteed at least 10 of the 268 congressional seats up for grabs in the March 11 election. They can gain more, but they must campaign for them.
Londono suffered a heart attack last week at the end of his daily exercise routine. He has had serious health scares before: in 2015 he had a heart attack in Cuba while negotiating the peace deal, and in July 2017 he suffered a minor stroke.
Doctors this week also found that Londono suffers from "a chronic pulmonary disease," as well as arterial brain blockage.
"His recovery will take several weeks," FARC Senate candidate Carlos Antonio Lozada said.
The ex-rebel leader however is undergoing a "satisfactory" recovery from heart surgery, Marquez said.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said FARC's withdrawal was "understandable."
"It is understandable, among other things because open heart surgery - which I am very happy went well - is a major procedure," he said.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
BUENOS AIRES - Tens of thousands took to the streets of Buenos Aires and capital cities across Latin America Thursday to mark International Women's Day and protest against gender-based violence.
"A beautiful woman is one who marches" said one of the many placards held above the densely packed, slow-moving crowds of demonstrators in the Argentine capital.
"We have to make a lot of noise. Over here, we have to be everything, not just women. This day should be a national holiday," said nurse Claudia Morales, accompanied by her two teenage daughters, as the throngs neared Congress.
Other women held babies in their arms or pushed strollers, while teenage girls held banners reading "My mum taught me to fight."
The overall aim of the march was to protest violence against women, in a country of 42 million which logged 292 murders of women in 2017 - a number that places Argentina at the lower end of the scale when it comes to "femicide" compared to other Latin American countries.
But this year, it also gained strength as a show of support for a bill to legalize abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Terminations are currently only permitted in cases of rape or if a woman's health is in danger.
Argentina became a regional leader in combating violence against women when the "Not one more" movement enjoyed a surge of support in 2015. Since then, activism has spread across the country.
In Mexico, where an average of 7.5 women are killed every day, thousands of protesters were expected to march later Thursday to the iconic Angel statue in the center of the capital.
"It's difficult to talk about it," said Paula, a mother of five, recounting a decade of physical abuse at the hands of her former partner. "I have been through all the legal proceedings."
"I went to the police when he hit my daughter, who was nine at the time and who is his daughter too. But lawsuits need to be paid for. I have five kids with him, two of them have disabilities," said the activist, a slight woman who speaks in a slow, deliberate manner.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
MEXICO CITY - The new Frida Kahlo Barbie raised eyebrows, and indeed unibrows, from the moment it was announced.
Now the late Mexican artist's family alleges the rights to her image have been stolen, and accuses toymaker Mattel of misrepresenting her appearance and ignoring what she stood for.
Mattel announced on Wednesday that Kahlo, a painter known for her searingly intimate portraits as well as her defiantly unplucked eyebrows, would be included in its newest collection of Barbie dolls.
It was perhaps an unlikely choice for the maker of the famously buxom blonde doll, given that Kahlo was known for upending gender norms and traditional ideas about how women should look and act.
Released just ahead of International Women's Day, the "Inspiring Women" collection includes dolls based on Kahlo, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, African-American mathematician Katherine Johnson and other historic figures.
But Kahlo's family soon issued a statement objecting to the doll. "Mrs Mara Romeo, great-niece of Frida Kahlo, is the sole owner of the rights of the image of the illustrious Mexican painter Frida Kahlo," it said.
"The company Mattel does not have the proper authorization to use the image of Frida Kahlo," it added, threatening to take "necessary measures" against the California-based toymaker.
However, an American company called the Frida Kahlo Corporation insisted it was the legitimate owner of the rights.
"Mattel has worked in close partnership with the Frida Kahlo Corporation, the owner of all rights related to the name and identity of Frida Kahlo, on the creation of this doll," it said in a statement. Romeo's lawyer Pablo Sangri said the dispute arose after the family established the Frida Kahlo Corporation in 2005, in partnership with another company called Casablanca Distributors.
The latter has violated their now-expired contract by failing to inform Kahlo's relatives about the uses of her "brand," he said.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
TORONTO (The Canadian Press) - Markets on both sides of the border saw moderate gains Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump announced broad tariffs on steel and aluminum that exempted Canada and Mexico.
The president signed proclamations slapping tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminum that go into effect for the rest of the world in 15 days. Canada and Mexico are to be excluded from the tariffs for now but uncertainty remains on how firm that exemption is as NAFTA negotiations continue.
Thursday's positive finish in North American markets was preceded by mild swings throughout the day as investors waited to see the details and wider implications of the tariffs, said Anish Chopra, managing director with Portfolio Management Corp. in Toronto.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 66.09 points at 15,538.70, with the industrials and financials sectors offsetting losses in mining stocks.
In currency markets, the Canadian dollar closed at an average trading value of 77.36 cents US, up 0.12 of a U.S. cent.
The April gold contract was down US$5.90 to US$1,321.70 an ounce and the May copper contract was down six cents to US$3.08 a pound.
Energy also weighed on the commodity-heavy TSX, as oil prices saw sharp losses for a second day in a row after the U.S. Energy Department reported Wednesday that American oil production rose last week - a move that thwarts ongoing efforts by OPEC to tighten global supplies and support prices. The April crude contract was down US$1.03 to US$60.12 per barrel.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 93.85 points to 24,895.21. The S&P 500 index was up 12.17 points to 2,738.97 and the Nasdaq composite index was up 31.30 points to 7,427.95.
Markets could see more movement Friday when the U.S. releases its latest job figures, said Chopra.
"People are waiting for the jobs report tomorrow to see if there are any signs of inflation ticking up in the United States."
Elsewhere in commodities, the April natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.76 per mmBTU.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
TORONTO (The Canadian Press) - The union representing Air Canada flight attendants says it has filed a human rights complaint alleging "systemic discrimination and harassment" of its members.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the airline's policies on uniforms and makeup are discriminatory towards female flight attendants on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and race.
It adds the company's new onboard service managers, who perform in-flight assessments of flight attendants, have made sexist, racist and homophobic remarks and have engaged in "inappropriate behaviour" towards flight attendants of both sexes.
The union that represents 8,500 flight attendants at Air Canada and Rouge is turning to the Canadian Human Rights Commission because the employer has failed to deal with members' complaints, says CUPE section vice-president Beth Mahan.
It is asking the commission to order a review of Air Canada policies and eliminate the onboard service managers program.
A spokeswoman for Air Canada says that it has policies related to grooming and presentation, which she says is the standard for major international carriers.
But she says that because the matter is before the human rights tribunal, the company won't comment further.
Last month, WestJet Airlines Ltd. filed an appeal after the Supreme Court of British Columbia refused to throw out a proposed class-action lawsuit that accuses the company of fostering a corporate culture that tolerates harassment against female employees.
Former flight attendant Mandalena Lewis is suing WestJet over allegations of gender-based discrimination, accusing her former employer of breaking its promise to provide a harassment-free workplace for women. Companies in this story include: (TSX:AC, TSX:WJA)
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
HALIFAX (The Canadian Press) - Viola Desmond's trailblazing act of defiance - overlooked for decades by most Canadians - was honoured Thursday in a Halifax ceremony that cemented her new status as a civil rights icon.
A new $10 bill featuring Desmond was unveiled by Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz.
The purple polymer bill - the first vertically oriented bank note issued in Canada - includes a portrait of Desmond and a historic map of north end Halifax on one side and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg on the other.
"It was long past time for a bank note to feature an iconic Canadian woman," Poloz told the large crowd gathered at the Halifax Central Library on International Women's Day despite a blustery snowstorm and flickering power. "That's been a goal of mine since I became governor."
Morneau said the deck was "doubly stacked" against Desmond because of her gender and the colour of her skin. He said she stood up for what she believed in and helped make the country a better place.
"It's an important story because it shows that standing up for what we believe, whether it's on the steps of Parliament Hill or in a movie theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, can make our country and our world a better place for future generations," he said.
"Her legal challenge galvanized the black community in Halifax's north end and paved the way for a broader understanding of human rights across our country."
The bill, which also features an eagle feather and an excerpt from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, was met by a standing ovation. Yet it was Desmond's sister, Wanda Robson, that stole the show. Now in her 90s, Robson captivated the Halifax audience with her genuine delight at seeing her sister on Canadian currency.
"I was speechless," she said describing her reaction to the bank note. "It's beyond what I ever thought. It's beautiful."
Desmond becomes the first black person - and the first non-royal woman - on a regularly circulating Canadian bank note.
"It's a long-awaited sense of belonging for the African Canadian community," said Russell Grosse, executive director of the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
TORONTO (The Canadian Press) - A virtual reality scripted comedy film featuring Jeff Goldblum was among the winners on the third of several nights for the Canadian Screen Awards.
"Miyubi," by Quebec's Felix & Paul Studios, won best immersive experience at Thursday's gala honouring digital and immersive storytelling.
The story, in which the viewer inhabits a Japanese toy robot that's given to a young boy on his birthday, includes a hidden scene that can be unlocked.
Other winners included the documentary "Secret Alberta: The Former Life of Amber Valley," about one of the first all-black settlements in Canada. It was named best non-fiction web program or series.
Best fictional web program or series went to "peopleWatching," which features comical animated adult characters in scenarios including speed dating and a non-religious confessional booth.
An interactive digital campaign for the supernatural Western horror series "Wynonna Earp" took the trophy for best fictional cross-platform project.
Getting the non-fiction version of that award was a group of 360-degree videos created from the CBC docudrama series "Canada: The Story of Us." "Odd Squad 1.5," an extension of the children's educational series that airs on TVO, won best cross-platform project in the children's and youth category.
"The Space We Hold," based on Tiffany Hsiung's documentary "The Apology," landed the award for best original interactive production. And Emma Hunter, who will co-host Sunday's Canadian Screen Awards gala, won best actress in a web program or series for "Save Me."
Sunday's broadcast gala will air from Toronto's Sony Centre of Performing Arts on CBC.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
LONDON (AFP) - U.S. actress Meghan Markle has been baptised by the leader of the Church of England ahead of her marriage to Prince Harry in May, the Daily Mail reported on Thursday.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby performed the 45-minute ceremony at London's Chapel Royal on Tuesday in the presence of Prince Charles, her future father-in-law, the paper said. Prince Harry's Kensington Palace office declined to comment.
Markle, 36, is understood to have chosen to be baptised and confirmed into the Anglican church out of respect for Queen Elizabeth II's role as the head of the denomination.
The ceremony involved the "Suits" actress being doused with holy water from the River Jordan from the private royal family font, according to the Mail.
The couple will wed on May 19 at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, a residence of Queen Elizabeth II's located west of London.
Markle's father is an Episcopalian - an offshoot of the Anglican Church in the US - while her mother belonged to another Protestant denomination.
However, she attended the Roman Catholic high school in Los Angeles.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Patrik Laine extended his point-scoring streak to 10 games for the Winnipeg Jets in another victory. Meanwhile, Taylor Hall saw his run end at 19 for the New Jersey Devils. Therein lies one tale in the Jets' 3-2 win Thursday night.
Winnipeg's top gun struck again with his eighth goal in the last four games. Laine has 14 goals and six assists over the 10-game span. He has 39 goals, pulling within one of Alex Ovechkin for the league lead.
"Maybe it's just that I'm a year older," said Laine, who is still only 19. "I know a little bit more about the game and I'm a better player than last year. When you're confident and feeling good about your game, you try to shoot it and it doesn't matter if you are in a great spot. Just get it to the net, and it might go in."
The other tale of the Jets' triumph came at the other end of the ice, where Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves against the persistent Devils as the Jets extended their winning streak to four.
It was a milestone victory for Hellebuyck, his 35th to set the franchise single-season record. Kari Lehtonen held the old mark of 34 for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006-07.
"I haven't let it soak in," Hellebuyck said. "It's a good feeling, having my name up there is pretty cool. It's a big milestone in my career and I'm going to enjoy it and continue on and keep pushing the pace."
The Jets show no sign of slacking their pace.
Joel Armia and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored as the Jets posted their ninth win in the last 11 games. It also extended the Jets' streak to 7-0-1 in their last eight road games.
Kyle Palmieri and Nico Hischier scored for the Devils, who lost for the fourth time in five games. They came up a goal short on the night Hall failed to hit the score sheet.
"It was going to end sometime," said Hall. "You want it to be on a night when you had some chances and created some offense. I thought I did that pretty well. You try to start a new one and you always want to be honest with your evaluation of yourself. Tonight was a night where you probably deserve a couple of points. There were some nights on the streak where I didn't play well at all and maybe found a way to get a couple of points. That's the way it goes."
The 19 games was the longest consecutive streak in the league this season. Hall had also earned points in 26 consecutive appearances dating to Jan. 2. He missed three games before the All-Star break with a thumb injury.
Hellebuyck took pride in being the one to end the streak.
"Absolutely, he's a good talented player," said Hellebuyck. "It had to happen sooner or later and I'm glad I was the one."
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) - The Florida Panthers are hot at home and Roberto Luongo is doing his best to keep it that way.
Luongo made 40 saves in his second shutout of the season, Nick Bjugstad scored his fourth goal in two games, and the Panthers beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-0 on Thursday night for their seventh straight home win. The Panthers have points in eight straight games, their only loss, 5-4 in overtime at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
"After the last game in Tampa where I felt like I didn't really come up with the big save when I needed it, I really wanted to bounce back and make sure I was there if there were any breakdowns," Luongo said.
Evgenii Dadonov had a goal and an assist, and Vincent Trocheck, Micheal Haley and Jonathan Huberdeau also scored for the Panthers, who have points in eight straight games. Keith Yandle added three assists, and Aleksander Barkov had a pair to extend his point streak to a season-high eight games.
"I don't really think about that, I just play and try to help the team win the game," Barkov said. "If I can contribute in the offensive zone, that's my biggest goal."
The Panthers are two points behind Columbus for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with three games in hand.
"It's a good stretch for us," Yandle said. "When you have a long stretch of home games like we have, you have to be good."
Charlie Lindgren stopped 27 shots for the Canadiens, who lost their second straight. Lindgren has given up 11 goals in those games.
"We are making the mistakes that leave him by himself out there," forward Nicolas Deslauriers said. "We know he's good and we know he's doing his best and we're not helping him."
Leading 3-0, Dadonov's one-timer from the right circle stretched the Panthers lead to 4-0 at 1:23 into the third period.
Trocheck's short-handed goal with 5:03 left in the third made it 5-0.
Leading 1-0, the Panthers added two goals in the first 2:44 of the second.
Bjugstad took a pass from Barkov in the slot and backhanded the puck into the net at 1:41 to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead. Bjugstad, who had a hat trick at Tampa Bay on Tuesday, has 10 points in his last eight games.
"We started off a little slow, but it was good to get scoring from everyone and in a lot of different ways," Bjugsatd said. We're rolling here."
About a minute later, Derek MacKenzie passed from behind the net to Haley in the slot and Haley fired the puck past Lindren to make it 3-0.
"That kind of broke our backs," Canadiens coach Claude Julien said. "You have to live with the knocks and the bad breaks. But again, we're asking a lot of players to play bigger roles than they're ready for because we have an arm-length of injuries."
Montreal appeared to score at 16:30 of the third when Paul Byron poked in a loose puck, but the call was overturned on a coach's challenge when it was determined Jacob de la Rose interfered with Luongo.
"It was a bang-bang play," Luongo said. "As the guy shot it, his glove hit my head and I couldn't really track it. Happy they were able to see that and take it off the board."
Huberdeau put the Panthers ahead 1-0 on his power-play goal with 3:44 left in the first period. Trocheck backhanded a pass from the left circle to Huberdeau in the slot, and Huberdeau one-timed the puck over Lindgren's shoulder.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
OTTAWA (The Canadian Press) - Robin Lehner always enjoys playing his former team. Picking up a 4-3 shootout win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday made it that much more enjoyable.
Lehner, who stopped two of three shooters in the shootout, is now 6-0-3 against the Senators since being traded to the Sabres in 2015.
"We needed this win and it was a pretty fun game," said Lehner, who stopped 37 shots.
This was just the second game of the season to go to a shootout for the Sabres, with their last one on opening night.
Jacob Josefson scored the shootout winner for Buffalo (22-35-11), which was coming off a disappointing 5-1 loss to Calgary. The Flames and Ottawa will play Friday.
"I think our focus and the response we made tonight was a great response," said Sabres head coach Phil Housley. "After having, I wouldn't say a poor effort in our building, with travel and coming out here I liked the way we started.
"From top to bottom everyone contributed (Thursday), especially with our team everybody's gotta be going and I thought everybody had a big part in the game."
Marco Scandella, Sam Reinhart and Scott Wilson scored in regulation for the Sabres.
With the win the Sabres, who sit last in the East, are just two points back of the Senators.
Ryan Dzingel led the way for the Senators in regulation (23-32-11) scoring twice, while Thomas Chabot scored his sixth of the season. Craig Anderson made 31 saves.
The Senators, who had a number of stellar chances, felt they deserved a better fate on this night.
"In the second and third we threw everything at them except the kitchen sink and it didn't go in," said Senators coach Guy Boucher. "We couldn't come closer than we did. You have to give credit to the goaltender, he played terrific."
Trailing 3-2, the Sabres tied the game just 27 seconds into the third as Ryan O'Reilly found Wilson in front and he beat Anderson high.
The Senators had a number of chances to regain the lead, but Lehner either made the stop or had luck on his side.
Dzingel tied the game 1-1 just 36 seconds into the second period as he fired a shot from the slot, and then gave the Senators the lead with his 19th of the season three minutes later.
"I haven't had that much fun in a while," said Dzingel, who played alongside Matt Duchene and Mike Hoffman. "Just feeding off those guys and complimenting them and it clicked? Hopefully we can stick together." The 25-year-old, who turns 26 Friday, has been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Senators.
"I've always personally believed he could be a 20-goal scorer with what he did last year," said Boucher. "It doesn't surprise me how well he's played. To score 20 goals is quite an accomplishment in this league, especially considering it's just his second season, and he needs just one more and I believe he'll accomplish the feat. He's a nice story this season for our team."
Buffalo was able to tie the game midway through the second as Reinhart jumped on a loose puck in front and scored off his backhand, but the Senators made it 3-2 as Chabot beat Lehner glove side.
The Senators nearly made it 4-2 as shots from Dzingel and Hoffman slid across the goal line, but Benoit Pouliot was able to clear the puck before Ottawa got another chance.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
EDMONTON (The Canadian Press) - Connor McDavid was a one-man wrecking crew for the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.
McDavid tied the game late in the third period, and then added the shootout winner as the Oilers skated away with a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders.
"He just takes over the game when he wants to," Oilers goalie Cam Talbot, who made 30 saves, said of McDavid. "He has that ability on any given night. In a one-goal game, that is who you want on the ice. You know he is going to do something special at some point. He never ceases to amaze."
Edmonton's captain finished with nine shots on net and over 27 minutes of ice time.
Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse agreed that McDavid is sometimes on a level that is hard to match.
"He is such a difference maker," he said. "When we need a big goal, he always seems to get one. Night-in and night-out he is making differences like that."
The Oilers (29-34-4) have won two in a row.
Thomas Hickey opened the scoring for the Islanders (29-29-10), who have lost eight straight _ their longest skid in more than four seasons. Christopher Gibson, who made just his second start of the season and was playing in the sixth game of his NHL career, had 35 saves.
"It's a tough way to lose a hockey game, because for the most part we are in control and we are playing good hockey," said Islanders defenceman Brandon Davidson. "It'd be nice to get on a roll, but it's tough one tonight with that bounce."
There was no scoring in the first period, with the Islanders putting nine shots on Talbot and Edmonton sending seven on Gibson.
The game remained scoreless through 40 minutes, with Edmonton taking a 22-17 edge on the shot clock.
The Islanders broke the scoreless deadlock 1:54 into the third period after the Oilers got sloppy in their own zone, allowing Hickey to get in tight and score, picking the top corner with a backhand shot for his fourth of the season.
Edmonton ended Gibson's shutout bid with just 1:50 to play in the third period when McDavid banked a shot off of New York defender Davidson and into the net for his career-high 31st goal of the season.
McDavid was hooked on a breakaway three minutes into overtime and was awarded a penalty shot, but hit the post on the attempt.
"We got the win and that is all that matters," McDavid said. "It would have been nice to score on that opportunity in overtime, but we'll take the shootout win."
New York's Jordan Eberle also came close in the overtime session, but Talbot came across to make a huge pad save. The game marked the return to Edmonton for Eberle, who was dealt by the Oilers for forward Ryan Strome on June 22, 2017.
The Oilers finish off a five-game homestand on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild. The Islanders close out a four-game trip in Calgary on Sunday.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Steve Kerr chuckled not about Stephen Curry's latest ankle trouble but just how good the Golden State Warriors can be without their two-time MVP.
"We still have three All-Stars when Steph goes down," Kerr said. "We still have a lot of talent."
Kevin Durant had 37 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots and almost single-handedly led the undermanned defending champions' fourth-quarter rally past the San Antonio Spurs for a 110-107 win Thursday night after Curry went down early.
Durant hit his third straight jumper to tie it with 2:01 remaining before the Warriors went ahead on Draymond Green's putback the following possession. Klay Thompson made two free throws with 15.9 seconds left. Bryn Forbes' 3-point try from the top to tie it hit the front rim as the final buzzer sounded.
"I felt good shooting the midrange as always," Durant said. "I tried to press go and shoot every time, not bad shots."
Green had his third triple-double this season with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Curry was lost for the night to a rolled right ankle early in the first quarter, then the Warriors responded without him to win their seventh straight since the All-Star break.
"It's just always a kind of hold-your-breath type of moment when that happens," Green said.
Durant's 14-footer from the right wing with 3:14 left got Golden State within 103-101, and then he answered a Spurs basket with another jumper the next time.
The NBA Finals MVP blocked two shots in the first half to set a new career high for a season and now has 108, besting the 105 blocks he had in 2012-13.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 30 points to lead the Spurs, who were without a star of their own after starting center Pau Gasol sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder late against Memphis on Monday.
Back-to-back Spurs dunks put San Antonio ahead 101-93 with 4:44 remaining before the Warriors mounted quite a comeback.
Golden State trailed 87-78 going into the final 12 minutes, earning a fourth straight win and eighth in 12 against San Antonio after a 122-105 home victory Feb. 10.
"We have to do a better job of just getting it to everybody and making sure we're sharp so that we don't have dry possessions like that in the fourth quarter," San Antonio's Danny Green said.
Curry tweaked his troublesome right ankle driving left for a layup at the 9:38 mark of the first quarter with two Spurs around him. He limped into the tunnel grimacing in pain and frustration, then initially stayed in the game to shoot free throws before heading to the locker room. The team said he was getting re-taped and going through tests, then Curry didn't return - but the Warriors are going to be cautious at this stage of the season with the playoffs beginning next month.
Curry missed 11 games in December with the sprained right ankle and injured it again last Friday at Atlanta. He won't travel or play at Portland on Friday.
Kerr is more concerned about health than the No. 1 seed now.
"We'll get Steph healthy. We've proven we can win without him," Kerr said.
Thompson began 2 for 10 and missed his first three tries from 3 before connecting from the top early in the fourth. He finished with 13 points and six assists. He needs one more 3-pointer to reach 200 or more 3s for the sixth straight season, which would tie Curry for an NBA record of most such seasons - and also for doing it in successive years. Ray Allen has the second-most seasons with 200-plus 3s in NBA history at five.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Austin Watson scored a short-handed goal late in the second period and the Nashville Predators beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Thursday night to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 10 games.
The Predators also matched Colorado for the longest winning streak in the NHL this season. The victory kept Nashville's edge at six points ahead of Winnipeg and Vegas for the Western Conference lead.
Pekka Rinne made 31 saves to improve to 18-1-1 over his last 20 games. Craig Smith, Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson each scored. Filip Forsberg had two assists for Nashville, which honored David Poile before the game for becoming career wins leader among NHL general managers with his 1,320th victory last week.
Rickard Rakell scored twice in the third period for the Ducks.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) - Walking on court for the first match of her latest comeback, Serena Williams allowed herself a rare smile. This time, tennis is different for the 23-time major winner.
What didn't change is Williams winning.
She beat Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday night after a 14-month layoff for the birth of her first daughter.
"I almost cried before the match," Williams said. "I texted Alexis, I was like, is it normal that I want to cry? I really missed her, but playing at night really helped because I know she goes to bed and she goes to sleep. I can't like play with her right now."
With new husband and Reddit co-found Alexis Ohanian looking on, Williams played from behind until breaking Diyas in the 11th game of the first set. Diyas netted a forehand and Williams yelled, "Come on!" as the crowd cheered.
"Right now, for this particular tournament, I'm really just trying to take it easy and not put so much pressure or stress or expectation on myself," she said. "I feel like it's one of the few times I've been able to do that."
Williams has been away since winning the 2017 Australian Open early in her pregnancy. She gave birth to Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. six months ago.
Williams is playing at Indian Wells under a protected ranking of 22nd. She hasn't been unseeded at a tournament since 2011 in Cincinnati. "I'm playing with nothing to lose, I only can gain," she said. "For me, it's a real joy to be out here."
The half-full stadium warmly greeted Williams, with many fans giving her a standing ovation as she entered.
Williams served a love game capped by a 100-mph ace in her first service game. She had break points in the first and fifth games but couldn't convert. She started hitting harder and her familiar grunting returned when she tied the set 5-all.
Diyas and Williams traded service breaks early in the second set. Williams then broke her opponent again en route to winning the final five games in front of the half-full stadium. She smiled as she walked to the net, and her family gave her a standing ovation.
"It definitely wasn't easy," Williams said on court. "We always have a couple tight sets. It was good. I'm a little rusty, but it doesn't matter. I'm just out here on this journey and doing the best I can."
Also in Williams' box were her mother Oracene, sisters Lyndrea and Isha, her agent, and her coach Patrick Mouratoglou. Older sister Venus watched from a balcony seat in an upper-level box on a 68-degree night in the Southern California desert.
Ohanian bought four billboards along Interstate 10 outside Palm Springs in tribute to his wife. The fourth billboard shows a photo of Williams and their daughter with the phrase "G.M.O.A.T" - greatest mother of all time - and is signed by Alexis Sr. and Jr.
Now she's traveling the tour with her baby and sometimes her husband, when he isn't off working.
"I've never done this before," she said. "I know I'll make mistakes and I'm OK with that."
Williams' only competitive appearances since the birth came in December at an exhibition in Abu Dhabi, a Fed Cup doubles match with sister Venus last month and an exhibition in New York on Monday.
Another new mother, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, won her first-round match over Heather Watson 6-4, 6-2.
The two-time winner of the desert tournament needed a wild card to get in because she has been off the tour since Wimbledon. Azarenka, who gave birth to son Leo in December 2016, has been in a custody fight that limited her travel.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (The Canadian Press) - Canada's Denis Shapovalov cruised into the second round of the BNP Paribas Open, defeating qualifier Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday.
The 18-year-old Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont., fired six aces and won 88 per cent of his first-service points to win the match at the Masters 1,000 tournament in one hour 13 minutes.
Shapovalov, ranked 44th on the ATP standings, broke his 106th-ranked opponent three times and was broken once.
The match was the first career meeting between the two players. Shapovalov will play 30th-seeded Pablo Cuevas of Argentina in the second round.
In other first-round action, Toronto's Peter Polansky defeated Marius Copil of Romania 7-6 (3), 6-7, 7-6 (12).
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) - Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had four singles in his spring training debut for the Toronto Blue Jays, a 9-3 win at the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.
The 18-year-old third baseman, whose father Vladimir will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, signed with Toronto in July 2015 for a $3.9 million bonus.
He was the designated hitter and had hits in the second inning off Nestor Cortes Jr., in the sixth and seventh against Tim Melville and in the ninth versus Asher Wojciechowski. He also flied out in the fourth against Darren O'Day. He hit .323 with 13 homers and 76 RBIs at a pair of Class A teams last year with a .910 OPS.
"Good looking hitter," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He looks like he has fun playing."
Bo Bichette, a son of former major leaguer Dante Bichette, had two hits and drove in two runs for Toronto. The Blue Jays' Anthony Alford had two doubles and his second triple. Aaron Sanchez allowed one run in three innings and struck out five.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Aqib Talib is reuniting with Wade Phillips in Los Angeles after the Denver Broncos agreed to trade the star cornerback to the Rams, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The Rams will send Denver a mid-round pick, believed to be a fifth-rounder, in next month's draft for the perennial Pro Bowl cornerback, said the person, who spoke off the record because the trade isn't official until the start of the new league year Wednesday.
"Man, I'm so excited," Talib told The Associated Press from Dallas on Thursday night. "I can't wait to play for Coach Sean McVay, go back with working with Wade, and playing with my young man, Marcus Peters. He's going to bring that young energy back to me.
"I'm super excited to play with those guys. Aaron Donald is a good friend of mine, too, so I get to go from playing behind Von Miller to playing behind Aaron Donald. That's not too shabby. I got another MVP in front of me."
The NFL Network first reported the agreement. The Broncos had been in talks with the Patriots, 49ers and Rams about Talib, who signed a six-year, $57 million deal in Denver in 2014, part of a defensive makeover that carried the team to the Super Bowl title two years ago.
In Los Angeles, Talib will reunite with Phillips, who was his defensive coordinator in Denver until last year, and will play alongside a fellow star defensive back in Peters, whom the Rams are acquiring from Kansas City.
Talib had an eventful four seasons in Denver, both on and off the field. He missed the Broncos' visit with former President Barack Obama to celebrate their Super Bowl 50 triumph after accidentally shooting himself in the leg during a night of partying only to come back to have an All-Pro season in 2016. He was suspended for one game for fighting Michael Crabtree last season.
None of that is why the Broncos are moving on from Talib.
They needed to clear both salary cap space and room for rising cornerback Bradley Roby, who's getting a big pay raise from about $1 million in 2017 to $8.526 million this year in the final season of his rookie contract.
On Thursday, the Broncos also picked up cornerback Chris Harris Jr.'s $1 million option, guaranteeing his 2018 salary of about $7.5 million. He'll cost them $10.26 million against the cap in 2018.
By trading Talib, who's due $11 million this season and $8 million next year, the Broncos will have about $35 million in salary cap space to pursue free agents, including quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Talib said Donald was the first Ram to reach out to him after word of the deal got out Thursday night. They share an agent in Todd France. Talib said he'll miss playing with Harris, his college teammate at Kansas, and the rest of the Broncos, however.
"It's a business, man, so them guys understand," Talib said. "Chris hit me up. We're all talented corners and they couldn't pay all of us. They got that quarterback situation they've got to fix."
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
A KVH SatNews service. Source: The Canadian Press
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