Canadian News Groups File Complaint Against OpenAIMikaela Shiffrin suffers abrasion on hip during crash on final run of World Cup giant slalom
Pakistani security forces have launched an operation to disperse supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan who had gathered in the capital to demand his release from prison. The latest development came hours after thousands of his supporters, defying government warnings, broke through a barrier of shipping containers blocking off Islamabad and entered a high-security zone, where they clashed with security forces, facing tear gas shelling, mass detentions and gunfire. Tension has been high in Islamabad since Sunday when supporters of the former PM began a “long march” from the restive north-west to demand his release. Khan has been in a prison for more than a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases that his party says are politically motivated. Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, led the protest, but she fled as police pushed back against demonstrators. Hundreds of Khan’s supporters are being arrested in the ongoing night-time operation. Interior minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters that the Red Zone, which houses government buildings and embassies, and the surrounding areas have been cleared. Leaders from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, have also fled the protest site. Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan’s army took control of D-Chowk, a large square in the Red Zone, where visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is staying. Since Monday, Mr Naqvi had threatened that security forces would use live fire if protesters fired weapons at them. “We have now authorised the police to respond as necessary,” Mr Naqvi said Tuesday while visiting the square. Before the operation began, protester Shahzor Ali said people had taken to the streets because Khan had called for them. “We will stay here until Khan joins us. He will decide what to do next,” Mr Ali said. Protester Fareeda Bibi, who is not related to Khan’s wife, said people have suffered greatly for the last two years. “We have really suffered for the last two years, whether it is economically, politically or socially. We have been ruined. I have not seen such a Pakistan in my life,” she said. Authorities have struggled to contain the protest-related violence. Six people, including four members of the security services, were killed when a vehicle rammed them on a street overnight into Tuesday. A police officer died in a separate incident. Dozens of Khan supporters beat a videographer covering the protest for the Associated Press and took his camera. He sustained head injuries and was treated in hospital. By Tuesday afternoon, fresh waves of protesters made their way unopposed to their final destination in the Red Zone. Mr Naqvi said Khan’s party had rejected a government offer to rally on the outskirts of the city. Information minister Atta Tarar warned there would be a severe government reaction to the violence. The government says only the courts can order Khan’s release. He was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. In a bid to foil the unrest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country. Messaging platforms were also experiencing severe disruption in the capital. Khan’s party relies heavily on social media and uses messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. The X platform, which is banned in Pakistan, is no longer accessible, even with a VPN. Last Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Mr Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested. Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible because of shipping containers blocking the roads. All education institutions remain closed.SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Spencer Knight made 20 saves, Mackie Samoskevich scored with less than a second left in the second period, and the Florida Panthers got four goals in the third to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-0 on Saturday and complete a two-day sweep. Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Evan Rodrigues and Adam Boqvist also scored for Florida, which won 6-3 at Carolina on Friday. The Panthers have won three straight — that streak following a stretch of six losses in seven games for the Stanley Cup champions. It was Knight's fourth career shutout, his first since Nov. 9, 2022 — also at home against Carolina. Spencer Martin made 23 saves on 28 shots for the Hurricanes, who have dropped four of their last six games (2-3-1). It was Martin's fourth consecutive start for Carolina. Hurricanes: This was the first time all season that the Hurricanes failed to get a point in the game immediately following a loss. Carolina was 4-0-1 after a defeat entering Saturday. Panthers: A big day for Samoskevich — his alma mater Michigan beat Ohio State in football on Saturday, that game ending just before the Florida-Carolina game started. The Panthers are 5-0-0 when he scores this season. Sam Reinhart had each of the four most recent Florida goals at 19:59, before Samoskevich got his Saturday. The Panthers scored two goals 11 seconds apart in the third to make it 5-0, and Yaniv Perets replaced Martin in the Hurricanes' net with 8:12 remaining. It was the second NHL appearance for Perets, who came on once in relief for Carolina last season. Ekblad's goal was his first in a span of 1,045 regular-season shifts since Feb. 20. Carolina starts a two-game homestand Tuesday against Seattle. Florida goes to Pittsburgh to start a two-game trip on Tuesday. AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Paramount Global Cl B stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitorsNoneSri Lanka’s book industry has renewed its call for books to be exempt from tax, with four industry bodies submitting a proposal to the new government for inclusion in the next national budget. Urging the government to consider the financial as well as social ramifications of taxing sources of knowledge and learning, these associations representing publishers, writers, retailers, importers and exporters have called for books to be returned to the list of items exempt from tax, as was the case before 1st January 2024. In their proposal, the four associations pointed out that with all inputs for the publishing industry with the exception of local labour being imported, Sri Lanka’s book industry is already taxed at 33.045%, and the imposition of a value-added tax (VAT) of 18% at the point of sale has made books unaffordable to many, and is putting small-scale publishers out of business. Addressing media at a news conference, Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association (SLBPA) President Samantha Indeewara pointed out that representatives of the new government while in the parliamentary opposition had criticised the imposition of VAT on books, and had the government of that time to reverse this. “We are therefore cautiously optimistic that the concerns of the book industry would be addressed in the next budget,” he said. “We have brought to the government’s attention the numerous anomalies affecting the industry that are directly attributable to the imposition of VAT on books,” he said. “This includes the fact that the majority of publishing companies are not eligible to pay VAT, and therefore are unable to deduct the VAT they pay on inputs for locally produced books, or the VAT they pay on the imports,” Indeewara elaborated, disclosing that only about 12 large publishing and printing companies are eligible to pay VAT on their sales and can therefore deduct the VAT they pay on inputs. However, many of the smaller publishers sell their books via the bookshops and distribution networks of the large companies, and the imposition of VAT results in all of their books being taxed, he said. Another matter of serious concern is that by imposing taxes on books, Sri Lanka continues to be in violation of the UNESCO Florence Agreement of 1950, to which the country was an early signatory and continues to be a Contracting State. The UNESCO Florence Agreement is a treaty that binds Contracting States to not impose customs duties and taxes on certain educational, scientific, and cultural materials that are imported.