Month: February 2023

Google Blocking Canadians From Accessing News Content ‘A Terrible Mistake,’ Trudeau Says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Google made “a terrible mistake” after the U.S. tech giant said earlier this week that it blocked access to some Canadian news content, which it described as a test run of a possible response to the Liberal government’s online bill. “It really surprises me that Google has decided that they’d…


Trudeau Says Google Blocking Canadians From Accessing News Content ‘A Terrible Mistake’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Google made “a terrible mistake” after the U.S. tech giant said earlier this week that it blocked access to some Canadian news content, which it described as a test run of a possible response to the Liberal government’s online bill. “It really surprises me that Google has decided that they’d…


Auditor General to Probe Federal Government Contracts With McKinsey

Canada’s auditor general will review the contracts awarded by the federal government to McKinsey & Company. A spokesperson for the independent agency confirmed to The Canadian Press on Friday that planning for the review is underway. No information was available about the scope or the extent of the probe that auditor general Karen Hogan and…


Canada’s TD Gets Regulatory Nod for $1.3 Billion Purchase of Cowen

Canada’s Toronto-Dominion Bank has received all regulatory approvals to complete its $1.3 billion acquisition of New York-based boutique investment bank Cowen Inc., the companies said on Friday. The deal is expected to close on March 1, they said. TD announced the buyout in August, building on its strategy to expand in the United States. Last…


Netflix Cuts Prices in Some Countries to Boost Subscriptions

Netflix Inc. said on Thursday it has cut prices of its subscription plans in some countries as the streaming giant looks to maintain subscriber growth amid stiff competition and strained consumer spending. The past year has seen intense competition in the streaming industry as a pandemic-driven boom fades and consumers curtail spending over fears of…


Moroccan Singer Convicted of Rape in Paris, Gets 6-Year Term

PARIS—A court in Paris convicted Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred of rape and assault charges Friday and sentenced him to six years in prison. The 37-year-old Lamjarred, who is famous on the Arab pop music scene, had been trial on charges of aggravated rape and assault since Monday. A six-member jury and three magistrates spent seven…


Aluminum Prices Shrug Off 200 Percent US Import Tariffs for Russia

LONDON—Aluminum prices on the London Metal Exchange shrugged off a decision by the United States to impose steep tariffs on Russian metal on Friday, though traders said prices would have jumped if the U.S. had imposed sanctions instead. One year on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States said it would impose a 200…


World Bank Announces $2.5 Billion in Additional Ukraine Aid

WASHINGTON—The World Bank on Friday announced $2.5 billion in additional grant financing from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support Ukraine’s budget and maintain essential services. The latest financing under the World Bank’s Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance in Ukraine(PEACE) project lifts the total to $20.6 billion and will support salaries in…


Florida Man Gets 7 Years for $2.6 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud

FORT MYERS, Fla.—A Florida man has been sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison for stealing more than $2.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Daniel Joseph Tisone, 35, of Naples, was sentenced Tuesday in Fort Myers federal court, court documents show. He pleaded guilty last August to wire fraud, bank fraud, illegal…


Shen Yun Fresh, Full of Energy, Says Digital Marketing CEO

MINNEAPOLIS—Shen Yun Performing Arts often opens to theater-wide gasps and delighted applause. “The curtains lifted up, the fog kind of rolled out—just a very epic scene to start the show. I haven’t seen anything like it,” said Steven Jones, CEO in digital marketing, at the Orpheum Theatre on the evening of Feb. 24. He attended the…