“Wicked” topped nominations to the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday, landing a leading five nominations including best ensemble, and individual nods for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey.

Out-of-control wildfires that swept across Los Angeles and Southern California on Tuesday night forced the Screen Actors Guild to cancel its plans to announce the nominations live Wednesday morning. The nominations were instead issued by press release by SAG, which last year began a multiyear deal with Netflix to stream the awards.

The smash hit musical “Wicked” saw its Oscar chances rise in the SAG nominations, which came the morning after the film was celebrated by the National Board of Review Awards in New York. “Wicked” even scored a nod for best stunt ensemble.

The other nominees for best ensemble are: “Anora,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez” and “A Complete Unknown.”

It was an especially strong showing for the Bob Dylan drama “A Complete Unknown.” It came away with four nominations, including Timothée Chalamet for best male actor, and supporting nods for both Edward Norton and Monica Barbaro.

The SAG Awards are among the most closely watched Oscar bellwethers. Their picks don’t always align exactly with those of the film academy, but they often do.

The last three best ensemble winners — “Oppenheimer,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “CODA” — all went on to win best picture at the Academy Awards. All but one of the SAG acting winners of the last three years has also won at the Oscars. The sole exception was Lily Gladstone, who won SAG’s award for female actor last year for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” but the Oscar trophy went to Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) at the Oscars.

While some overlooked performances might still land an Oscar nomination, any eventual Academy Award winner, including the best picture recipient, is almost surely coming from those nominated Wednesday.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards will be held Feb. 23 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The ceremony, to be hosted by Kristen Bell. will be streamed live on Netflix. In addition to the competitive awards, Jane Fonda will be presented with the guild’s Life Achievement Award.

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press

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The Oromocto woman at the centre of an early-morning Amber Alert on Monday appeared in court Wednesday to answer to earlier charges alleging criminal conduct last year.

Natasha Ashley Kelly, 34, of Finnamore Street, was accompanied by defence lawyer Michael Mallory in Fredericton provincial court Wednesday, scheduled to answer to multiple charges.

Kelly faces Aug. 22 counts of assault causing bodily harm to Erika Polchies, assault on Adam Sacobie, dangerous driving and endangering her one-year-old son’s life by abandoning him at Welamukotuk (Oromocto) First Nation.

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A father and daughter who were killed on New Year's Eve in Halifax are being remembered as a woman who was the life of the party and a sports fan who loved challenging himself with his favourite TV show, Jeopardy.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Opposition Progressive Conservatives asked the premier today to suspend a vote on a draft energy deal with Quebec’s hydro utility until it is reviewed by independent experts.

Party leader Tony Wakeham made the demand in the provincial legislature during Day 3 of a four-day debate about the memorandum of understanding unveiled last month between both provinces’ public utility companies.

None of the 13 people onboard a Cougar Helicopters flight was injured in an incident, in which passengers reported a loud bang and a flash of light.

McMaster Children’s Hospital is urging parents of infants to get their child vaccinated against the RSV virus, which is on the rise in the area. Experts at Hamilton Health Sciences’ (HHS) McMaster Children’s Hospital (MCH) are seeing an increase in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases, and anticipate higher numbers now that children are back to school. RSV admissions more than tripled from November to December this year, and RSV positive cases seen in the hospital emergency room and wards more than doubled this December compared to the previous year.

Physicians and health experts at HHS remind parents and guardians that the RSV immunization Beyfortus® is available at clinics at MCH and West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (WLMH) for all infants under the age of one year. More information about these clinics can be found at https://www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca/share/news-rsv-medicine-available/.

“The emergency department at MCH is becoming busier as we head deeper into the winter season, and RSV is coming through the doors more often than not,” says Dr. Jeffrey Pernica, infectious disease specialist at MCH. “The RSV immunization Beyfortus® helps protect your baby by boosting their antibodies to reduce severe illness.”

Families/caregivers of babies under the age of one year, can contact the McMaster Children’s Hospital clinic at 905-521-2345 and the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital clinic at 905-945-2253, ext. 11401 and leave a message to schedule an appointment. A clinic staff member will return your call to book the appointment.

“RSV can cause a very serious disease in newborns and young infants,” says Dr. Pernica. “Because infants – especially young infants – are so much smaller, RSV infection can cause difficulty breathing, which often prompts a trip to the emergency department and can cause admission to hospital or even hospitalization within the intensive care unit.”

For more information on the various healthcare options this respiratory season, please visit https://www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca/share/news-respiratory-season-2024/.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AP) — The U.S. is set to provide Ukraine an additional $500 million in weapons quickly pulled from its existing stockpiles as the Biden administration works to get Kyiv in a stronger negotiating position before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, two U.S. officials said.

The announcement is expected during Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s final trip to meet with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a consortium of about 50 partner nations that Austin brought together months after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 to coordinate weapons support.

The meeting on Thursday is the 25th and potentially last gathering of the U.S.-led group, as the participating countries wait to see whether it will be continued under Trump.

“Our focus will be on maintaining momentum, delivering results, and sending a clear message: The international community stands resolute in its support for Ukraine,” Austin told reporters traveling with him.

The weapons are funded through presidential drawdown authority, meaning they can be pulled directly from U.S. stockpiles. A senior defense official who briefed reporters traveling with Austin said the goal was to get those munitions into Ukraine before the end of the month.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet publicly announced.

To date the U.S. has provided Ukraine about $66.5 billion in weapons assistance since Russia invaded nearly three years ago.

There is now a little less than $4 billion remaining in congressionally authorized funding for Ukraine and much of that is expected to roll over to the Trump administration to determine whether to continue the weapons support.

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Lee reported from Washington.

Tara Copp And Matthew Lee, The Associated Press

The big dip in interest rates near the end of 2024 did not come soon enough to make a significant lift in home sales according to the Cornerstone Realtors Association. Sower sales throughout the spring season offset the improvements that occurred later in the year as interest rates eased. Sales in 2024 totaled 10,210, slightly above 2023 levels but 26 per cent below long-term trends.

“As interest rates have begun to trend downward, some homebuyers are taking advantage of the opportunity to enter the market while there is still a good selection of homes available. Although the pace of return has been gradual, the improving rates have sparked renewed interest, and many potential purchasers are starting to feel more confident in making their move,” says Nicolas von Bredow, Cornerstone spokesperson for the Hamilton-Burlington market area.

At the same time, more new listings came onto the market, resulting in inventory gains. Over 3,000 units were available throughout the majority of the year. Supply improved across all property types and most price ranges, including lower-priced products.

Improved supply choice is something seen since 2023 and has weighed on home prices. However, price drops have been fairly minor as the declines over the past few years have been relative to the pandemic price boom. Even with a nearly one per cent decline in 2024, on an annual basis, the average benchmark price is still consistent with levels seen in 2021 and nine per cent higher than the 2020 average annual benchmark price of $651,425.

Hamilton

Burlington

Members of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party will choose their next leader on what will be close to the two-year anniversary of a historically bad result in the provincial election.

A Cougar Helicopters flight carrying eleven workers and two flight crew returned to base and landed safely after a suspected lightning strike last Friday.

Cenovus is reporting the incident today.

The company says Cougar Flight 881 was travelling at an altitude of 5000 feet when the flight crew heard a loud bang, followed by a flash of light.

The flight returned to St. John’s, escorted by the 103 Search and Rescue Squadron out of Gander, and landed safely. There were no injuries.

All other helicopters operating that day were subsequently inspected for any evidence of a lightning strike, but no findings were noted.

Investigations into the incident have been launched by Cenovus and Cougar, and the C-NLOPB is monitoring it.

Canada Post has reinstated on-time service guarantees and returned to full service levels for domestic parcels.

We thank Canadians for their patience these past few weeks as we’ve worked to safely restore normal operations while managing significant holiday volumes.

While we’ve stabilized our operations and taken care of the parcels in our network, we continue to work through higher volumes of mail.

Parcels and mail

• On-time service guarantees have resumed for domestic parcels and are in effect for items inducted as of January 6, 2025.
• We have returned to normal processing and delivery levels across the country, including in rural and remote areas.
• We continue to process accumulated domestic Transaction Mail alongside newly inducted volumes. Canadians should therefore continue to expect delivery delays of several days beyond our service standard for Transaction Mail such as letters, bills and statements.
• With a significant amount of Neighbourhood Mail still to be processed and delivered, business customers should continue to expect delivery delays of several days.
• While we continue to work through accumulated international volumes at a good pace, customers should expect a delivery delay of several days for incoming international items.

We will continue to keep Canadians and businesses informed on how we are progressing. Check for the latest updates on canadapost.ca.

The post Canada Post Back To Full Service For Domestic Parcels appeared first on Kingsville Times.

Robert Brown

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Robert S. Brown on January 5th, 2025. Predeceased by his parents, Robert and Dora Brown, his son Robbie (1974), and sisters Dorothy Epplett (Fred) and Nancy Smith (Jim). Robert was the adoring husband of 60 years to Carole, loving father to Debbie Slater (Wayne), and doting Grandpa to Rob and Bill. He will also be missed by his sister, Pat Haynes (John), and several nieces and nephews.

Robert retired from Leamington International Trucks 33 years ago.

As per Robert’s wishes, cremation has taken place, and there will be no visitation or funeral service held.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in Robert’s name to a charity of your choosing.

No funeral details available.

The post Robert Brown (January 10, 1932 – January 5, 2025) appeared first on Kingsville Times.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Authorities in Mexico are offering state protection to famed regional Mexican singer Natanael Cano and other artists after a drug cartel in northern Mexico publicly threatened them, prosecutors confirmed to The Associated Press.

Photos of a banner threatening the lives of Cano, a singer of corridos, a musical genre often linked to drug cartel violence, and several other artists in the Sonora region circulated on social media over the weekend.

The banner was signed by “Jalisco Matasalas,” a group within a faction of the Sinaloa cartel known as the Chapitos, which sowed terror in northern Mexico in recent months in a bloody power struggle. The gang accused the singers of “financially helping” a rival gang known as Salazares.

“This is the last time you will receive a warning, just in time for you to cut the crap. Mind your own business,” the banner read. “If you don’t heed this warning, you will be shot.”

The Sonoran Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday told the AP that the threatening message was found hanging from a school and that they had opened an investigation.

Allan de la Rosa, a spokesperson for the prosecutors, said authorities offered state protection to the artists to “prevent any aggression related to the direct threat displayed on the banner.” He did not elaborate on the nature of the protection.

Cano’s communications team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Corridos, made up of ballads from northern Mexico, is a musical genre that has long been linked to drug violence, but they also depict the harsh realities faced by many Mexicans who live under such violence. The genre, along with Mexican regional music, is experiencing a resurgence with younger artists like Cano and Peso Pluma blending classic styles with other genres like trap music.

Over the past five years, streaming of Mexican music has grown 400% on Spotify and in 2023 Mexican artist Peso Pluma bested Taylor Swift as the most streamed artist on YouTube.

Such artists have long faced sharp criticisms from authorities as well as threats from drug gangs.

In 2023, Peso Pluma — who paid homage to drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in songs – was forced to cancel a show in Tijuana after the 25-year-old received threats from a rival of the Sinaloa Cartel, warning that “it would be your last performance” if he proceeded with the concert.

Later, Tijuana banned the performance of narco ballads altogether to protect “the eyes and ears” of youths as it tries to contain violence. Local authorities in northern states previously banned musicians singing narco-corridos.

The threats against Cano follow a surge of violence in Sinaloa and other northern Mexican states triggered by the kidnapping and capture of cartel boss Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and the ensuing all-out-war between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, including the one that allegedly threatened Cano.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Megan Janetsky, The Associated Press

The provincial government says it received notice that PowerSchool had experienced a cybersecurity incident on Tuesday.

PowerSchool is a third party which provides a platform used in the provincial K-12 education system, as well as many other jurisdictions.

The incident is not specific to Newfoundland and Labrador. PowerSchool notified customers in multiple jurisdictions in North America.

The province is working with the vendor to determine the extent of data accessed and number of individuals who may be involved. There has been no disruption to the daily operations of schools or classroom instruction.

PowerSchool has stated that they do not anticipate the data involved being shared or made public, and they believe it has been deleted without any further replication or dissemination. The company has indicated that the incident has been contained and they have increased security within their systems to prevent further incidents.

PowerSchool has stated that it does not expect any misuse of personal information or financial harm to impacted individuals as a result of this incident. They will be providing credit monitoring services to affected adults and identity protection services to affected minors in accordance with regulatory and contractual requirements. More information will be provided on these services and eligibility when available.  

Multiple government departments are involved to determine next steps, and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has been notified. While the investigation is ongoing and information received from PowerSchool may change, the Provincial Government will provide further information as it becomes available. NTV’s Jodi Cooke will be covering the story and will have more this evening during the NTV Evening Newshour.

Education Minister Krista Lynn Howell is making herself available to reporters this hour in relation to a cybersecurity incident involving the PowerSchool program.

The third-party app provides all information related to student grades, attendance, and assignments, and it involves customers in multiple jurisdictions across North America.

The province is working with the company to determine the extent of data accessed and the number of people involved.

PowerSchool has indicated that it does not anticipate that the data involved is being shared or made public and it believes it has been deleted without any further replication or dissemination.

The company says the incident has been contained and security has been increased to prevent further incidents.

PowerSchool expects no misuse of personal information or financial harm to affected users. Credit monitoring services are being provided to affected adults.