Here are the latest Top News stories from The Canadian Press. All times are Eastern unless otherwise stated. Coverage plans are included when available. Entries are subject to change as news develops.
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TOP HEADLINES:
Florida man indicted on human smuggling charges
B.C. First Nation evacuees return home after flood
Police arrest several at Ottawa blockade
Emergencies Act prompts raucous Commons debate
Novavax COVID-19 vaccine gets approval
Ontario lifting capacity limits on businesses
Military studying ability to reinforce NATO: Anand
Golden again: Canadian women back on top of Olympic hockey
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NEW TOP STORIES SINCE THE LAST ADVISORY:
Florida man indicted on human smuggling charges
Mba-Border-Deaths
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States -- A federal grand jury in the United States has formally indicted a man on human smuggling charges after the deaths of four Indian migrants near the Canada-U. S. border last month. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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B.C. First Nation evacuees return home after flood
Flooding-BC
Merritt, British Columbia, , -- Members of a British Columbia First Nation who were evacuated more than 90 days ago when a nearby river changed course during catastrophic floods are set to return home. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Glenbow museum celebrates multimillion donation
Alta-Museum-Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- An art and history museum in Calgary is believed to be the first major Canadian museum to offer free admission — permanently — thanks to a multimillion-dollar legacy gift. Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1
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Haviah Mighty gives $10,000 to Black entrepreneurs
MUSIC-Haviah-Mighty
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Haviah Mighty is giving 10 Black-owned small businesses a bit of extra cash to help them grow and thrive. By David Friend. Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1
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B.C. nation to investigate school site for remains
Residential-School-BC
Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada -- A British Columbia First Nation located off the coast of northeastern Vancouver Island says it has started an investigation on the grounds of a former residential school, looking for the remains of children who didn't return home. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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CONVOY PROTESTS:
Police arrest several at Ottawa blockade
Trucker-Protest
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Police made several arrests late Thursday as hundreds of antigovernment demonstrators continued to ignore demands they leave the ongoing blockade in Ottawa. By Mia Rabson, Laura Osman, Erika Ibrahim and Stephanie Taylor. Wire: National.
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PM defends Emergencies Act, court challenge filed
Emergencies-Act
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- The federal government faced a constitutional challenge Thursday over its historic invocation of the Emergencies Act, as police began to move on protesters with large trucks paralyzing the heart of the national capital. By Mia Rabson and Mike Blanchfield. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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The latest on protests in Ottawa and beyond
Trucker-Protest-The-Latest
The latest developments on ongoing protests against COVID-19 restrictions and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, in Ottawa and various locations across Canada, on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. All times eastern: Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Unvaccinated truckers delivering vaccines exempt
Truckers-Order
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Unvaccinated truckers bringing COVID-19 vaccines and medical devices into Canada to combat the pandemic are exempt from testing and quarantine requirements at the border, a government order says. By Marie Woolf. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Flag a collective symbol with individual meaning
Trucker-Protest-Flags
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- The symbolism attached to national flags often revolves around patriotism, but experts say the Maple Leaf’s prominent appearance at COVID-19 mandate protests comes at a moment of reflection for Canada. By Hina Alam. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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COVID-19 and OMICRON
Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine gets approval
COVID-Cda
Health Canada has approved the use of a fifth COVID-19 vaccine to add to its arsenal and perhaps lead to an uptick in vaccinations among people who remain hesitant. By Kelly Geraldine Malone. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Ontario lifting capacity limits on businesses
COVID-Ont
Capacity limits are lifting in more Ontario settings as the province continues to roll back pandemic restrictions in light of improving COVID-19 indicators. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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Yukon lifts some COVID-19 limits as Omicron wanes
COVID-Yukon
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada -- Yukon is lifting some COVID-19 gathering restrictions and capacity limits starting Friday as the Omicron variant peaks in the territory. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Ontario to offer remote learning for another year
COVID-Ont-Schools
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Ontario will require school boards to offer virtual learning as an option for one more school year. Wire: Ontario/Quebec.
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Hospital vaccination policies to remain in effect
COVID-Ont-Hospitals
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Vaccination requirements for restaurants, gyms and other public settings in Ontario may soon be lifting, but mandates for staff and even visitors in some hospitals will likely be in place much longer. By Allison Jones. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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OTHER TOP NEWS:
Military studying ability to reinforce NATO: Anand
Cda-Russia
Ottawa, , -- Defence Minister Anita Anand emerged from two days of meetings with NATO counterparts on Thursday with fresh assurances of Canada’s commitment to the military alliance, but no new promises of reinforcements to protect eastern allies from Russia. By Lee Berthiaume. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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N.S. farmers on alert after discovery of bird flu
NS-Bird-Flu
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- Poultry farmers in western Nova Scotia are on high alert and taking precautions to ensure the safety of their birds, following the discovery of highly pathogenic avian influenza in one commercial flock. By Keith Doucette. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Budget office says housing affordability gap grows
PBO-Housing
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- The parliamentary budget officer is warning that homeownership has become even less affordable through the pandemic for the average buyer, who may find it even tougher to get into the market unless prices drop. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Feds offer cities aid for transit shortfalls
Transit-Funding
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- The federal government is offering cities a one-time cash infusion of $750 million to help make up for shortfalls in transit revenues linked to COVID-19. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Tories name leadership race rules-makers
Conservative-Leadership
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- The Conservative party is turning to a one-time chief of staff to former prime minister Stephen Harper to head the committee setting the rules for the party's leadership race. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Canada's Luke Kirby promises darker 'Mrs. Maisel'
TV-Maisel-Kirby
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- It's quite a leap to watch actor Luke Kirby go from playing a Gucci-clad dreamy dad in Crave's "Gossip Girl" to the dark comedian and satirist he plays in Prime Video's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" who'd probably have more than a few punchlines reserved for the former. By Sadaf Ahsan. Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1
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Golden again: Canadian women back on top of Olympic hockey world with win over U.S.
OLY-Canada-Roundup
BEIJING - Who else but Marie-Philip Poulin? The big-time performer who has made a career of thriving on hockey's biggest stages did it again Thursday in Beijing, helping Canada reclaim Olympic women's hockey gold against its arch rival. MOVED will be updated. Photo
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McDavid still disappointed to miss Olympics
HKN-McDavid-Olympics
UNDATED -- Connor McDavid is still disappointed to not be on the ice at the Beijing Olympics, but the superstar is still finding ways to watch and cheer on his fellow Canadians. He's also looking forward to the day he finally gets to compete wearing the Maple Leaf. By Gemma Karstens-Smith. Moves: Sports 600 words. PHOTO. ETA 4 p.m. ET
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LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE STORIES:
The LJI is a federally funded program to add coverage in under-covered areas or on under-covered issues. This content is delivered on the CP wire in the "Y" or spare news category, or you can register to access it at https://lji-ijl.ca. This content is created and submitted by participating publishers and is not edited by The Canadian Press. Please credit stories to the reporter, their media outlet and the Local Journalism Initiative. Questions should be directed to LJI supervising editor Amy Logan at amy.logan@thecanadianpress.com. Below is a sample of the dozens of stories moved daily:
Queen's grad students vote in favour of strike mandate
LJI-ON-QUEENS-GRAD-STUDENTS-STRIKE
Grad student workers at Queen's University in Kingston have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate as negotiations with Queen's administration have hit a stand still. 400 words. PHOTO. Owen Fullerton/YGK New
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Environment Canada links B.C. floods to human-induced climate change
LJI-ON-ENVIRO-CANADA-BC-FLOODS-CLIMATE
Human-induced climate change “contributed substantially” to the atmospheric river and ensuing floods that devastated B.C. last year, a new study by Environment Canada scientists confirms, warning Canadians to brace for more of the same. 450 words. Natasha Bulowski/Canada's National Observer
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NDP MPs urge Ottawa to make opioid crisis in Northern Ontario a priority
LJI-ONT-NDP-Hughes-Angus-opioid-crisis
Opioid use has caused devastation in Northern Ontario, MP Carol Hughes says. She and fellow NDP MP Charlie Angus are supporting a private member’s bill that could go a long way to helping save lives. If passed, Bill C-216, put forth by NDP MP Gord Johns, would decriminalize drug possession for personal use, expand access to harm reduction and treatment service and expunge criminal records for simple possession of drugs. 750 words. Lori Thompson/The Manitoulin Expositor
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FROM AP:
The latest AP advisory is unavailable. This is the previous advisory.
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ONLY ON AP
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MILITARY-ACADEMIES-SEXUAL-ASSAULT — Reported sexual assaults at the U.S. military academies increased sharply during the 2020-21 school year, as students returned to in-person classes during the coronavirus pandemic, according to several U.S. officials familiar with the reports. By Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 645 words, photos.
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TOP STORIES
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UKRAINE-TENSIONS — U.S. President Joe Biden warned that Russia could still invade Ukraine within days and Russia expelled the No. 2 diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, as tensions flared anew in the worst East-West standoff in decades. NATO allies accused Russia of misleading the world by saying it was returning some troops to their bases but instead moved in thousands of new ones. The pullout pledge was among Russian gestures this week that briefly cooled temperatures. By Vladimir Isachenkov, Yuras Karmanau, Darlene Superville and Lorne Cook. SENT: 1,240 words, photos, video. WITH: UKRAINE-TENSIONS-THINGS-TO-KNOW — What to know as tensions hit new high. SENT: 1,025 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-PROTESTS — Police poured into downtown Ottawa in what truckers feared was a prelude to a crackdown on their nearly three-week, street-clogging protest against Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions. Work crews in the capital erected fences outside Parliament, and for the second day in a row, officers handed out warnings to the protesters to leave. Busloads of police converged on the area in the morning. By Rob Gillies and Wilson Ring. SENT: 750 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — The omicron wave that assaulted the United States this winter also bolstered its defenses, leaving enough protection against the coronavirus that future spikes will likely require much less — if any — dramatic disruption to society. Millions of individual Americans’ immune systems now recognize the virus and are primed to fight it off if they encounter omicron, or even another variant. By Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson. SENT: 960 words, photos.
ELECTION 2022-RURAL VOTERS — The Democratic Party’s brand is so toxic in some parts of rural America that liberals are removing bumper stickers and refusing to acknowledge their party affiliation publicly. That presents acute challenges for Democratic candidates in states that will help decide the Senate majority in November. By National Politics Writer Steve Peoples. SENT: 1,110 words, photos.
FEDERAL-PRISONS — The U.S. Senate is launching a bipartisan working group of lawmakers to scrutinize conditions within the Bureau of Prisons following reporting by The Associated Press that uncovered widespread corruption and abuse in federal prisons. The working group is led by Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun. By Michael Balsamo and Michael R. Sisak. SENT: 455 words, photos.
BRAZIL-DEADLY RAINS — Rio de Janeiro state’s government has confirmed 105 deaths from floods and mudslides that swept away homes and cars in the city of Petropolis. But even as families prepared to bury their dead, it was unclear how many bodies remained trapped in the mud. By Mauricio Savarese and Diarlei Rodrigues. SENT: 630 words, photos, video.
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MORE ON THE OLYMPICS
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OLY-CHINA-GLOVES OFF — For two weeks and more, China’s stance on questions about its politics and policies has been straightforward: It’s the Olympics, and we’re not talking about these things. That changed on Thursday. The persistent and polite refusal to answer such questions gave way to the usual state of affairs at news conferences with Chinese officials — emphatic, calibrated answers about the country’s most sensitive situations. SENT: 730 words, photo.
OLY--FIG-WOMEN’S FREE SKATE — Anna Shcherbakova won a stunning gold medal in women’s figure skating at the Beijing Games on Thursday night, while Russian teammate Kamila Valieva tumbled all the way out of the medals after a mistake-filled end to her controversial Olympics. Shcherbakova performed a near-flawless free skate to leap over the 15-year-old Valieva, the leader after the short program. SENT: 750 words, photos. With OLY-FIG-RUSSIA-WHAT'S NEXT? — Russia’s trio of teenage figure skating stars each enter an uncertain future after what may be the most dramatic night in their sport’s history. SENT: 700 words, photos.
OLY-SKI-WOMEN’S-COMBINED — Mikaela Shiffrin came to the Beijing Olympics as one of the biggest stars of Alpine skiing — or any sport. She will leave without any individual medals after managing to finish just two of the five women’s races. SENT: 910 words, photos.
OLY-HKW-GOLD-MEDAL-US-CANADA — Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice and Canada reclaimed its place atop the women’s hockey world with a 3-2 win over the defending champion United States at the Beijing Olympics. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
OLY-FRE-HALFPIPE-CRASHES — Freestyle skier Jon Sallinen’s first run in Olympic halfpipe qualifying wasn’t picture perfect. He drifted out of the halfpipe and collided with a photographer. He fell again on his second run. SENT: 775 words, photos.
OLY-FRE-EILEEN’S GOALS — Another Olympic gold medal is hers for the taking. Eileen Gu has bigger goals than that. SENT: 990 words, photos.
OLY-BEIJING-INVISIBLE OLYMPICS — The Olympics are back in Beijing this year but the atmosphere is much more subdued. SENT: 870 words, photos.
OLY-PHOTOGRAPHS-ROBOTICS-EXPLAINER — The five members of the International Olympic Photo Pool all employ robotics to augment their wire offerings. SENT: 1,110 words, photos.
OLY-HAZMAT-HOTEL — The Chinese people working in hazmat suits inside the Beijing Olympics’ closed-loop “bubble” don’t hesitate to be photographed. SENT: 300 words, photos.
OLY-FROZEN-FACES-PHOTO-GALLERY — Olympic frost hangs in hair, masks and lashes. SENT: 120 words.
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MORE ON UKRAINE
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UKRAINE-REBEL REGIONS-EXPLAINER -- Amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, tensions have also soared in the country’s east, where Ukrainian forces are locked in a nearly eight-year conflict with Russia-backed separatists. A sharp increase in skirmishes on Thursday raised fears that Moscow could use the situation as a pretext for an incursion. More than 14,000 people have been killed in fighting in eastern Ukraine since the conflict there erupted in April 2014. SENT: 875 words, photos.
UKRAINE-RUSSIAN-PASSPORTS — People in parts of Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed rebels have received Russian passports in a fast-track procedure widely seen as an attempt to underscore Russia’s influence in the region. SENT: 1,085 words, photos.
UKRAINE-TENSIONS-HARRIS — Vice President Kamala Harris will face her highest-stakes foreign policy assignment yet this weekend in Germany, where she will try to keep European allies unified amid growing concern over the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. She will attend the annual Munich Security Conference as President Biden and other western leaders warn that the threat of an invasion remains high. SENT: 745 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-SOLDIERS AS TEACHERS — National Guard Army and Air Force troops in New Mexico have been stepping in for an emergency unlike others they have responded to before: the shortage of teachers and school staff members that have tested the ability of schools nationwide to continue operating during the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 950 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK ZIMBABWE MENTAL HEALTH — In Zimbabwe, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven up mental health problems caused by substance abuse. SENT: 770 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-JAPAN — Japan announced it will ease its tough COVID-19 border controls by increasing the number of people allowed to enter each day and reducing quarantine requirements following criticism that its current policy is unscientific and xenophobic. SENT: 610 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIA TESTS — The use of rapid home tests has surged in India on the back of omicron cases, but experts say home tests are less accurate than lab-run PCR tests and that since not all results are being reported, new variants or future clusters may go undetected. SENT: 980 words, photos, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SOLOMON ISLANDS — With the first community outbreak of the coronavirus in the Solomon Islands spreading rapidly through the largely unvaccinated population, the Red Cross warned that the Pacific Island nation’s fragile health care system is at risk of becoming overwhelmed. SENT: 660 words, photo.
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TRENDING NEWS
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ODD-JUMBO-STRAWBERRY — After a year-long jam, a mammoth Israeli strawberry is entering the record books. Weighing a whopping 10.19 ounces, the titanic berry this week was declared the world’s largest by Guinness World Records. SENT: 190 words, photos.
OBIT-OLDEST-PATRIOTS-FAN — A Maine woman recognized by the New England Patriots as their oldest fan has died at age 106. SENT: 125 words.
ROMANCE-FRAUD — A man and woman from New York will be sentenced this week for their role in a scam that defrauded a Virginia man out of more than $500,000. SENT: 600 words, photo.
MISSING-CRUISE-SHIP-PASSENGER — The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a cruise ship passenger who jumped from her balcony into the sea and is missing in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities said. SENT: 190 words.
SWITZERLAND-JAIL-VOLUNTEERS — Corrections officials in Switzerland say hundreds of people have jumped at the chance to stay in a new jail in Zurich. City corrections authorities said they received 832 applications for an as-yet undecided number of volunteers who will be selected to test the facility before it accepts its first inmates. SENT: 455 words, photos.
EUROPE-STORM — Schools will be shut in Germany’s most populous state following storm warnings for part of the country. SENT: 205 words, photo.
OFFICER-CHARGED-FLORIDA -- A white Florida police officer has been charged with aggravated battery during the arrest of a Black man accused of trespassing outside a grocery store. SENT: 540 words.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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CAPITOL RIOT-ANTI-VACCINE DOCTOR — A California doctor known as a leading purveyor of coronavirus misinformation has a plea agreement hearing scheduled for Thursday in one of the hundreds of cases stemming from last year’s riot at the U.S. Capitol. Dr. Simone Gold, founder of an anti-vaccine group called America’s Frontline Doctors, was charged with joining the mob that stormed the building on Jan. 6, 2021. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 4 p.m.
SUPREME-COURT-VACANCY-LOBBYING — The whispers and chatter about top contenders for the Supreme Court are growing as President Biden zeroes in on a nominee to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. And while the president is eager for input, the White House insists he’s not going to be swayed by any sniping. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 p.m.
TRUMP-LEGAL TROUBLES — A judge said he plans to make a decision Thursday afternoon in former President Donald Trump’s fight to avoid being questioned under oath in a New York investigation into his business practices. SENT: 725 words, photos.
BIDEN — President Joe Biden says the bipartisan infrastructure law will pump $1 billion into a Great Lakes restoration program. Biden went to Lorain, Ohio, on Thursday to highlight the measure’s benefits for the lakes and the regional economy. SENT: 810 words, photos.
VOTING LEGISLATION-SEWELL — Growing up in the civil rights epicenter of Selma, Alabama, Terri Sewell heard all the stories about the voting rights battles. As she set out for Congress, she looked ahead to the next civil rights fights. Income inequality, she thought, would be the place for her to focus. Then the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the earlier generation’s fight suddenly became her own. The congresswoman’s voting bill collapsed in the Senate last month, but she is determined to press on. SENT: 1,085 words, photos.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT-SUPPLY CHAIN STRUGGLES — The Justice Department is launching a new initiative aimed at identifying companies that exploit supply chain disruptions in the U.S. to make increased profits in violation of federal antitrust laws. SENT: 210 words, photo.
ELECTION-2022-KRISTOF — The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is not eligible to run for governor because he does not meet the state’s three-year residency requirement. SENT: 465 words, photos.
LOS-ANGELES-MAYOR — The contest to become the next mayor of Los Angeles can be distilled into a single question with no easy answer: Who can fix this mess? SENT: 1,100 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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OKLAHOMA EXECUTION-POSTELLE — Oklahoma has executed a man for his role in a quadruple slaying in 2005. Thirty-five-year-old Gilbert Ray Postelle received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. It was Oklahoma’s fourth execution since October, when the state resumed lethal injections following a nearly seven-year hiatus. SENT: 480 words, photos.
GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICERS-CIVIL RIGHTS — A former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s killing returned to the witness stand Thursday as a prosecutor peppered him with questions about his training, including on officers’ duty to provide medical care for people in custody. SENT: 670 words, photos.
AHMAUD ARBERY-HATE CRIMES — A police officer testified at the federal hate crimes trial of the three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery that the 25-year-old man had repeatedly entered a home under construction but didn’t take anything. SENT: 415 words, photos.
POLICE SHOOTING-MINNEAPOLIS-FUNERAL — Hundreds of people are joining in song and prayer at the funeral service for Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man who was shot by Minneapolis police serving a search warrant. SENT: 410 words, photos. Developing.
DAUNTE WRIGHT-OFFICER TRIAL-EXPLAINER-SENTENCING — The suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for her Taser when she killed Daunte Wright is set to be sentenced for her first-degree manslaughter conviction. Former Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter was also convicted of second-degree manslaughter, but she’ll only be sentenced Friday for the more serious count. SENT: 1,155 words, photos. WITH: DAUNTE-WRIGHT-TIMELINE — Kim Potter, a former suburban Minneapolis police officer, was convicted of manslaughter in the April 11 shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, a Black motorist. Key moments in the case. SENT: 565 words, photos.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-POLICE SHOOTING-OHIO — The Ohio sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot Casey Goodson Jr. was not acting in his role as a deputized U.S. marshal at the time of the shooting, and the murder case against the deputy must remain in state court, a federal judge ruled Thursday in a victory for prosecutors who charged the deputy. SENT: 740 words, photos. With POLICE SHOOTING-EXPLAINER-OHIO — Fugitive task forces examined in Ohio police shooting case. SENT: 780 words, photos.
OBIT-CANDY BOMBER — A U.S. military pilot known as the “Candy Bomber” for his airdrops of sweets during the Berlin Airlift after World War II ended has died. Gail Halvorsen died Wednesday in his home state of Utah. He was 101. SENT: 540 words. AP Photos planned.
COUNTRY CLUB FIRE — A devastating fire has swept through the iconic clubhouse at a suburban Detroit golf course. Oakland Hills Country Club is one of Michigan’s most exclusive clubs and the site of many professional tournaments. SENT: 200 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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SYRIA-FOREIGN DETAINEES — A deadly prison attack last month sharpened the focus on the tens of thousands of foreign nationals held in camps and detention centers in northeastern Syria — many of them affiliated with the Islamic State group. They’re overseen by the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces who spearheaded the fight against IS. Authorities in the Kurdish-led self-administration say they’re a chief source of instability in the region. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.
MEXICO-AVOCADOS — Experts say you may be paying more for your avocado toast in the short term, and the effects of the U.S. temporary ban on imports of the fruit is already being felt by avocado pickers in Mexico. SENT: 765 words, photos.
IRAN-TANKER — A tanker owned by a Los Angeles-based private equity firm likely took part in the illicit trade of Iranian crude oil at sea despite American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic. That’s according to the United Against Nuclear Iran. Satellite images and maritime tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press correspond to the group’s identification of the vessels allegedly involved and showed them side-by-side off the coast of Singapore on Saturday. SENT: 720 words, photos.
REL-VATICAN-SPY-STORY — The Vatican’s big fraud and extortion trial resumes Friday after exposing some unseemly realities of how the Holy See operates, with a new spy story taking center stage that is more befitting of a 007 thriller than the inner workings of a papacy. SENT: 735 words, photo.
AFGHANISTAN-FEARFUL-MEDIA — Journalists in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan say they operate in a climate of fear and uncertainty. SENT: 980 words, photos.
EUROPE-FOOD PRICES — Greek farmers have been lining up their vehicles along the country’s busiest highways for weeks, threatening to close the roads unless the government provides more assistance to help them through an energy crisis that has pushed up the price of food, fuel and fertilizer. SENT: 850 words, photos.
FRANCE-ELECTION-FAR RIGHT — Two words, taboo for many in France because they evoke a conspiracy theory embraced by white supremacists, have been haunting the French presidential campaign: “Great replacement.” SENT: 880 words, photos.
KUWAIT-TRANSGENDER RIGHTS — Kuwait’s constitutional court has struck down a contentious law long used to criminalize transgender people by forbidding the “imitation of the opposite sex.” SENT: 310 words.
ISRAEL-UN-HUMAN RIGHTS — Israel has formally announced it will not cooperate with a special commission formed by the United Nations’ top human rights body to investigate alleged abuses against Palestinians. It says the probe and its chairwoman are unfairly biased against Israel. SENT: 710 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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SCI-EAGLES-LEAD-POISONING — America’s national bird is more beleaguered than previously believed, with nearly half of bald eagles tested across the U.S. showing signs of chronic lead exposure, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. UPCOMING: 885 words, photos by 3 p.m.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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TESLA-INVESTIGATION — U.S. auto safety regulators have launched another investigation of Tesla, this time tied to complaints that its cars can stop on roads for no apparent reason. SENT: 690 words, photo.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks were sharply lower on Wall Street, chipping away at the weekly gains for major indexes. SENT: 410 words, photo.
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS — More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week following three straight weeks of declines. Jobless claims rose by 23,000 to 248,000 for the week ending Feb. 12, the Labor Department reported. Claims were revised up to 225,000 the previous week. SENT: 305 words, photo.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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MUSIC-YOKO ONO TRIBUTE ALBUM — A new generation of music fans will get a chance to hear Yoko Ono’s songwriting skills with the release of “Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono,” a 14-track album of covers from such artists as David Byrne, Yo La Tengo, Death Cab for Cutie, Sharon Van Etten, Japanese Breakfast and The Flaming Lips. Friday is Ono’s birthday. UPCOMING: 720 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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BBO-LOCKOUT — Locked out Major League Baseball players planned to make a counteroffer to teams on the 78th day of baseball’s second-longest work stoppage, on what was to have been the second day of spring training workouts. UPCOMING: 800 words, bargaining resumes 1 p.m.
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The Canadian Press
