BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mostly lower on Friday, with Tokyo’s benchmark down more than $2 after a sell-off on Wall Street.

U.S. futures were higher and oil prices were little changed.

Bitcoin was trading near $88,000, according to CoinDesk, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday establishing a government reserve of bitcoin, a key marker in the cryptocurrency’s journey towards possible mainstream acceptance.

China reported lower than expected exports and imports for January-February, with exports growing just 2.3% and imports sinking 8.4%, the government reported. China’s trade data for the first two months of the year are usually combined to make up for distortions from Lunar New Year holidays.

U.S. stocks fell after President Donald Trump offered another temporary reprieve from his 25% tariffs on many good imported from Mexico and Canada, underscoring the uncertainty that Trump’s tariffs have created for the global economy. But investors showed little enthusiasm, unlike the bounce stocks got the prior day from his giving a one-month exemption specifically for automakers.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 2.1% to 36,898.25 on heavy selling of technology related shares. Computer chip-maker Tokyo Electron’s shares dropped 3.6% and testing equipment maker Advantest gave up 2.3%. Both saw steep drops in their U.S.-listed shares overnight.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng held steady, gaining 0.6% to 24,504.80, while the Shanghai Composite index was nearly unchanged at 3,381.33.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 tumbled 1.8% to 7,951.90. South Korea’s Kospi edged 0.1% lower, to 2,574.06, and the Taiex in Taiwan declined 0.7%.

India’s Sensex was down 0.7% and the SET in Bangkok gained 0.7%.

On Thursday, the S&P 500 tumbled 1.8% to 5,738.52 to resume its slide after a mini-recovery from the prior day clawed back some of its sharp drop over recent weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1% to 42,579.08, while the Nasdaq composite tumbled 2.6% to 18,069.26, finishing more than 10% below its record set in December.

Stocks have been buoyed by hopes that Trump may be using tariffs as a negotiating tactic rather than a permanent policy and that he may avoid a worst-case trade war that grinds down economies and sends inflation higher.

But Trump is still pressing ahead with other tariffs scheduled to take effect April 2. And the dizzying back-and-forth moves on tariffs is amping up uncertainty. U.S. businesses are already saying they’re confronting “chaos” because of all the uncertainty coming out of Washington. while households are bracing for higher inflation.

Next up for Wall Street is a report Friday from the U.S. Labor Department on how many workers U.S. employers hired last month. A solid job market so far, along with the solid spending by U.S. households that it’s allowed, have been linchpins in preventing a recession. Economists are expecting to see an acceleration in hiring for February.

Some big retailers have been offering warning signals recently about how much U.S. consumers can keep spending.

Macy’s on Thursday reported slightly weaker revenue for the end of 2024 than analysts expected, though its profit topped expectations. It also gave a forecast for profit in 2025 that fell short of analysts’. Its shares fell 0.7%.

Semiconductor companies and their suppliers, which soared to staggering heights because of the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology, led losses. Nvidia, fell 5.7%, while Broadcom lost 6.3% ahead of the release of its earnings report.

Indexes were mixed Thursday in Europe after the European Central Bank cut interest rates, as was widely expected.

German stocks rallied 1.5% as the market continues to feel reverberations from an agreement by the two parties that will form the country’s next government to loosen constitutional limits on borrowing. It’s a major turnaround in German budget policy and opens the way for new borrowing and spending over the next decade.

In other dealings early Friday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 4 cents to $66.32 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost 1 cent to $69.45 per barrel.

The U.S. dollar fell to 147.72 Japanese yen from 147.98 yen. Rising labor costs have reinforced expectations that the Japanese central bank may raise its benchmark interest rate soon to counter surging inflation.

The euro rose to $1.0808 from $1.0786.

___

AP Business Writers Stan Choe and Matt Ott contributed.

Elaine Kurtenbach, The Associated Press

This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

A 32-year-old man charged in a January crash that killed a pedestrian in central Halifax is scheduled to appear in Halifax provincial court on April 4 for election and plea, according to the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service.

Despite a temporary reprieve, Nova Scotia's seafood sector has suffered "chaos, confusion" as a result of new U.S. tariffs, according to the province's fisheries minister.

Fluoridation at Lake Major has been offline since April 2020. On Thursday, Halifax's environment and sustainability standing committee heard chemical storage space limitations at the facility mean it could take a year to 10 years to resume fluoridation.

The only daily TV news package to focus on Nova Scotians and their stories

BALTIMORE (AP) — Adnan Syed, whose case amassed a worldwide following of “Serial” podcast listeners, will remain free even though his murder conviction still stands, a Baltimore judge ruled on Thursday.

The judge agreed to reduce Syed’s sentence to time served under a relatively new state law that provides a pathway to release for people convicted of crimes committed when they were minors.

“This sentence will be followed by a period of five years of supervised probation,” Judge Jennifer Schiffer wrote in her decision, adding that Syed “is not a danger to the public” and that the interests of justice will be better served by a reduced sentence.

The judge’s ruling followed a hearing last week that included emotional testimony from Syed and relatives of the victim, Hae Min Lee, who was strangled and buried in a shallow grave in 1999.

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys told Schiffer that Syed, now 43, doesn’t pose a risk to public safety. Lee’s brother and mother urged the judge to uphold his life sentence.

Syed, who has maintained his innocence, was released from prison in 2022 after Baltimore prosecutors uncovered problems with the case and moved to vacate his conviction, which was later reinstated on appeal. Since his release, he’s been working at Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative and caring for aging family members.

Schiffer’s decision to allow Syed’s continued freedom marks a somewhat anticlimactic milestone for the case, which has received extensive media coverage and multiple court challenges over the years.

At trial, prosecutors painted Syed as Lee’s jealous ex-boyfriend and built their case around a key witness whose credibility has been heavily questioned. But all these years later, arguments about whether to reduce Syed’s sentence notably sidestepped the issue of guilt or innocence.

The current Baltimore State’s Attorney, Ivan Bates, who publicly raised doubts about the integrity of the conviction before becoming the city’s top prosecutor, said last week that his office believes in the jury’s verdict and has no plans to continue investigating the case. His predecessor Marilyn Mosby tried to get the conviction thrown out in 2022.

“It is now upon the defense, if they have new information, to bring it to us,” Bates said at a news conference following the hearing.

Those questions aside, recent court testimony reviewed the lasting impacts of Lee’s gruesome death and Syed’s 23-year incarceration.

Lee’s family and their attorney said old wounds were ripped open when Syed’s conviction was vacated. The family later succeeded in getting the conviction reinstated after challenging the ruling on procedural grounds, arguing they didn’t receive proper notice to attend the hearing that freed Syed from prison, where they participated only through a video connection.

Hours before the hearing, Bates withdrew Mosby’s earlier motion to vacate the conviction even as he supported a reduced sentence.

And while the judge acknowledged Syed’s accomplishments in her remarks to the court last week, she focused on what the Lee family has endured, including witnessing Syed’s “rise to celebrity” following the release of “Serial” in 2014 and a television documentary about the case.

“I hope that everyone understands that Hae Min Lee and her family are the true victims in this case,” she said. “Their suffering cannot be overstated.”

Lee’s brother, Young Lee, told the court that losing her destroyed his family. Instead of growing up with an older sister to guide him through adolescence, Young Lee said he would sometimes have imaginary conversations with her. “When this thing is finally over,” he said through tears, he plans to visit the spot where her ashes were laid and talk to her about how “her short life impacted people and how famous she became.”

Other testimony came from character witnesses who described Syed as having an even temper, strong communication skills, loving relationships and an impressive ability to remain hopeful during his long prison term.

“If there’s anything good you see in me as a human being, it’s because of his influence,” said his younger brother Yusuf Syed, who recently completed medical school and applied for a residency.

Syed took classes in prison through a Georgetown University program and was hired by the school after his release. Marc Howard, director of its Prisons and Justice Initiative, said he’s become “an invaluable member of our team.”

Syed, for his part, choked up while addressing the pain that his defense and the media attention have caused Lee’s family. He told the judge he’s trying to keep his head down and contribute positively to society.

“I can promise to you and everyone in here, including Hae’s family, that I will continue to live the life that I’ve been trying to live,” he said.

Lea Skene And Brian Witte, The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for actor Blake Lively asked a federal judge Thursday to impose strict rules to prevent anyone associated with Justin Baldoni getting personal or intimate information about her or other celebrities while potential evidence is shared among attorneys as her sexual harassment claims against her costar in “It Ends With Us” proceeds toward trial.

Meryl Governski, representing Lively, told Judge Lewis J. Liman in a telephone conference that some materials must be shared only between lawyers to protect her client and others. The judge did not immediately rule.

Lively sued Baldoni, his production company and others in New York in late December for sexual harassment and attacks on her reputation and sought unspecified damages. Baldoni later countersued, accusing Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion and seeking at least $400 million in damages.

Governski said some defendants in Lively’s lawsuit filed in late December against Baldoni, his production company and others seemed to be operating on an unlimited budget as they “try to ruin the lives of Ms. Lively and her family.”

“There is an insatiable appetite for any information about this case, no matter how benign it is,” Governski said. “The defendants have bragged in text messages about being able to publish information without fingerprints.”

She said one category of information that needs to be kept between lawyers related to medical information, including mental health, and that “personal and intimate conversations with unrelated third parties” must be kept out of the public eye because — while the public relations value would be high — the evidentiary value would be “virtually nonexistent.”

Governski said there were “dozens and dozens of third parties” that would be identified by name in discovery materials, and “we think there is a significant chance of irreparable harm if marginally relevant information with high-profile individuals who are unrelated to the case fall into the wrong hands.”

Bryan Freedman, representing Baldoni and his production company, scoffed at Governski’s statements, saying the judge’s proposed order to keep potential evidence in the case secret while it is shared between attorneys and their clients was sufficient.

Freedman said the case was similar to others, despite the fame of its litigants, and he should be able to discuss potential evidence with his clients to properly defend them.

“Frankly we see no difference because someone is a celebrity” as to how the case should proceed, he said.

Freedman said Lively’s lawyers could request that certain sensitive materials, such as medical information related to her claims that she suffered emotional distress, be kept between lawyers when the issue arises.

“If they need greater protection and need our clients not to see something, they could make a specific showing,” he said.

The judge said he expects to rule soon. He noted there was a “presumption of public access” to the courts, and he cited the public’s right to know how the court’s resources are being used.

He has already warned lawyers to obey court rules about making public statements that could endanger a fair trial and suggested he could order a trial scheduled for March 9, 2026, to occur sooner if lawyers continued making fiery public comments.

“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence, was released in August, exceeding box office expectations with a $50 million debut. But the movie’s release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.

Lively became widely known after she appeared in the 2005 film “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” She bolstered her stardom on the TV series “Gossip Girl” from 2007 to 2012 before starring in films including “The Town” and “The Shallows.”

Baldoni starred in the TV comedy “Jane the Virgin,” directed the 2019 film “Five Feet Apart” and wrote “Man Enough,” a book pushing back against traditional notions of masculinity.

Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press

The moratorium announced Thursday will last a decade and can be renewed at the end of the term if supported by both governments.

The head of a Dartmouth mental health organization says new multi-year provincial funding for community mental health and addictions programs will allow staff to focus more of their efforts on helping the people they serve.

European Union leaders on Thursday committed to a massive step in defense cooperation following decades of hesitation, spurred on by U.S. President Donald Trump ’s repeated warnings that he would cut them adrift and face the threat of Russia without America’s overwhelming military might.

The 27 leaders signed off Thursday on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending. They also urged the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, to explore new ways to facilitate significant defense spending in all member states, a statement said.

That comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country will hold talks with the U.S. next week about ending the war against Russia. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday and his team would stay there to hold talks with U.S. officials.

___

Here’s the latest:

Ukraine and the US will hold talks next week on ending the war

The talks are set to take place in Saudi Arabia.

In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday. He said his team would stay on to hold talks with U.S. officials about ending the war between Ukraine and Russia.

“Ukraine is most interested in peace,” Zelenskyy said. “As we told President Trump, Ukraine is working and will work exclusively constructively for a quick and reliable peace.”

EU leaders back new defense spending plans after Trump signals that Europe must fend for itself

European Union leaders on Thursday backed new defense spending plans aimed at freeing up billions of euros for the continent’s security after the Trump administration signaled that Europe would have to fend for itself in future.

The 27 leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending. They also urged the European Commission to explore new ways “to facilitate significant defense spending at national level in all Member States,” a statement said.

The EU’s executive branch estimates that around 650 billion euros ($702 billion) could be freed up in this way.

The leaders also took note of a European Commission offer of a loan package worth 150 billion euros ($162 billion) to buy new military equipment and invited EU headquarters staff “to examine this proposal as a matter of urgency.”

Once again, the EU can’t reach consensus on backing Ukraine

European Union leaders have failed to reach a full consensus on a common stance in defense of Ukraine and its war against Russia.

That’s according to an official with knowledge of the vote at Thursday’s close-door meeting.

A statement was signed off among 26 EU members with a lone member state out, the official said.

Hungary has long been a holdout in previous attempts to reach consensus.

The official declined to elaborate on which country did not back the statement. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the summit was still ongoing.

The EU says it wants to back Ukraine with funds and military material so it can negotiate from a position of strength. Hungary says such measures would only extend the war.

___

Associated Press writer Raf Casert in Brussels contributed to this report.

Zelenskyy says US and Ukraine teams have resumed working together, and hints at another meeting

The Ukrainian leader didn’t give details about what kind of cooperation has restarted, and said the two countries hoped to have “a meaningful meeting” next week.

In his speech Thursday to a meeting of European Council members, Zelenskyy said Ukraine “is not only ready to take the necessary steps for peace, but we are also proposing what those steps are.”

Russia can demonstrate that it’s serious about peace, he said, by ceasing attacks on Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure as well as halting military operations in the Black Sea, and it could also release prisoners of war.

Still, he said “any truce and any form of trust building measures can only be a prologue to a full and fair settlement, to a comprehensive agreement on security guarantees and an end to the war.”

Russia casts Macron’s speech as ‘nuclear blackmail’

Moscow said its military planning will take into account the latest statements by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday denounced Macron’s address a day earlier, in which he suggested starting talks about using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect Europe from Russian threats.

Russia said the speech contained “notes of nuclear blackmail” and reflected Paris’ ambitions to “become the nuclear ‘patron’ of all of Europe,” even though France’s nuclear forces are dwarfed by U.S. arsenals.

Still, the ministry warned that Macron’s statement “will be taken into account by Russia in its defense planning.” It claimed that Macron’s speech reflects a “real panic” in Europe over emerging signs of normalization of Russia-U.S. ties.”

Russia defends its vetoes on UN resolution mentioning Ukraine invasion

Moscow vetoed European amendments last month that would have added Russia’s responsibility for invading its smaller neighbor. The U.N. Security Council resolution was adopted on Feb. 24 with its five European members abstaining.

Russia’s deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told the General Assembly on Thursday that Moscow highly values the Trump administration’s peace initiative.

Polyansky called the U.S. resolution “a step in the right direction and grounds for further efforts for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis.”

Many European countries followed Polyansky to the assembly’s podium to denounce Russia’s invasion as a violation of the U.N. Charter which requires every U.N. member to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and to demand Russian troops withdraw from Ukraine.

U.S. deputy ambassador Dorothy Shea told the assembly the resolution “does not end the war, but it has put us on a path to peace” which must be lasting, not temporary.

And about those billions in frozen Russian assets…

Most of the assets frozen in Europe are in Belgium at the securities depositary Euroclear.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said at the summit Thursday: ″I advocate great caution when it comes to those frozen assets.″

He called the frozen assets “a chicken that also lays golden eggs” because of the accumulating interest on the principal. So far, $50 billion in interest has been used to help Ukraine.

“Countries that are already calling for the confiscation of those funds, they should be well aware of the economic risks they are taking,” he said. “That is something that can really shock the world financial order. You should not take that lightly.”

European leaders hesitate to seize Russia’s frozen billions

That’s despite urging from Ukraine and front-line governments in the Baltic states and Poland, who want to seize some 210 billion euros ($227 billion) in Russian central bank reserves that have been frozen in the European financial system since the start of the war.

Officials in France and Germany have resisted due to concerns about legal obstacles and potentially undermining confidence in the euro and its associated financial system. So far the Group of Seven countries have used only the accumulating interest on the money to fund $50 billion in assistance for Ukraine.

The G-7 say the money will stay frozen “until Russia ceases its aggression and pays for the damage it has caused.” Countries bordering Russia want to use it to pay for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Bulgarian PM: ‘Europe is weak without the United States’

“Europe is weak without the United States,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told reporters in Brussels on Thursday. He voiced hope that “the U.S. remains committed to our collective security, which is based on shared values.”

Zhelyazkov said that no decisions regarding peace in Ukraine should be made without Ukraine’s involvement and that “negotiations about Europe’s security must be conducted by Europe and for Europe.” Asked about the kind of peace being pursued, he said, “When the rule of law is confronted by the law of force, Europe must be prepared.”

Bulgaria insists that funding for rearmament should not come at the expense of EU cohesion funds, but by redirecting unspent money from EU’s COVID-19 recovery fund toward the country’s defense industry.

How big is the French nuclear arsenal?

The talk about possibly ″sharing’’ France’s nuclear arsenal around Europe raises many questions, among them: How big is it?

The Federation of American Scientists, or FAS, estimates that all together, the United States and Russia possess approximately 88% of the world’s total inventory of nuclear weapons — more than 5,000 each.

They are followed at a distance by China, and France is in fourth position with an estimated 290 nuclear warheads. The U.K. has an estimated 225, according to the federation. The FAS notes that the exact number of weapons in each country’s possession is unknown because it’s a closely held national secret.

EU leaders finish working lunch with Zelenskyy

The EU’s 27 leaders have finished a working lunch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Meal-time discussions are unscripted, and the heads of state and government can freely speak, often in English, but also in their own languages without any obvious time constraints.

Early Thursday morning, EU envoys finished drafting a summit statement for the leaders to endorse. The text, seen by The Associated Press, insists there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine and that the Europeans must be involved in any talks involving their security.

The text could still change before the summit concludes. It also says that a ceasefire can only happen as part of a process leading to a full peace agreement. Any agreement, the leaders would say, must be accompanied by “robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine.”

Hungary has threatened to veto parts of the statement relating to Ukraine, but Prime Minister Viktor Orbán entered the European Council building in Brussels via an alternate entrance, avoiding the waiting media.

Starmer says US remains an essential ally

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rejected suggestions that Europe and the United States are at odds over Ukraine and that Britain must pick a side.

Starmer says the U.S. remains an essential ally, and he’s working “to get the U.S., Ukraine and European allies onto the same page so that we can all focus on what matters most, which is lasting peace in Ukraine.”

Speaking on a visit Thursday to a shipyard in northwest England, the British leader repeated his call for a ceasefire to be backed up by robust security guarantees for Ukraine.

He said: “That guarantee needs a European element, and of course the United Kingdom will step up, we always step up in the cause of peace. But we also need the U.S. to be working with us on that, and that is what I am focusing all my attention on.”

Scholz expresses reservations over French nuclear deterrent

Scholz has expressed his reservations about the idea of using French nuclear weapons to protect other European countries.

In response to questions from journalists, the German chancellor referred to the existing NATO system of nuclear deterrence, which is based on U.S. nuclear weapons and in which Germany participates.

He says he believes “that this should not be abandoned — that is the common view of all centrist parties in Germany.”

Lavrov says statements about Russia being a threat to Europe are ‘stupid’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday harshly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s claim that Russia threatens Europe.

“This is a threat to Russia,” Lavrov said at a briefing in Moscow, noting Macron’s plan to convene a meeting of top European military officers to discuss purported aggressive plans by Moscow.

Lavrov dismissed the allegations that Russia was hatching plans to attack European nations as “stupid” and “delirious nonsense.”

“For any more or less sane person it is completely clear that Russia does not need this,” he said.

Russia rejects Franco-British peace proposal for Ukraine

Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected a peace proposal from France and Britain, describing it as an attempt by Kyiv’s European allies to offer a break to the embattled Ukrainian army.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said that the proposed break in air and naval attacks is an attempt to “secure a pause for the agonizing Kyiv regime, the Ukrainian armed forces and prevent the front from collapsing.”

She said that Ukraine would use any pause in fighting to strengthen its military, which would lead to prolonged conflict.

Germany’s likely next chancellor Merz isn’t part of EU summit

Friedrich Merz, who will most likely become Germany’s next chancellor in a few weeks, won’t be participating in Thursday’s EU summit.

But the center-right politician who won the country’ election last month did meet several top European leaders ahead of the summit in Brussels, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

On X, Merz writes that he agrees with both on sharply increasing Europe’s s defense capabilities. He stresses that “we must be able to defend ourselves so that we don’t have to defend ourselves.” He adds, “there can only be peace in Europe if we are strong.”

UK says about 20 nations involved in talks about protecting peace in Ukraine

The British government says plans are advancing for a multinational military force to help protect peace in Ukraine, with about 20 countries involved in talks.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office says officials from some 20 nations attended a planning meeting organized by the U.K. on Wednesday. Spokesman Tom Wells said the “interested countries” came largely from Europe and the Commonwealth. He did not identify any of the countries.

Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have proposed a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine and guarantee the peace after a ceasefire. Only the U.K. and France have so far said they are willing to send troops.

Lavrov warns Russia won’t accept NATO troops as peacekeepers in Ukraine

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Moscow wouldn’t accept any troops from NATO members as peacekeepers to monitor a possible peace deal in Ukraine.

Lavrov assailed French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer for pushing the proposal for European peacekeepers’ deployment to Ukraine and reaffirmed that Russia won’t accept it.

“We aren’t seeing any room for compromise here,” Lavrov said.

He emphasized that Russia would see the move as a “direct, official and unveiled involvement of NATO members in the war against Russia,” adding that “it can’t be allowed.”

Scholz calls for bigger defense spending in Europe

Germany’s Scholz says just as his country is getting ready to massively boost its defense capabilities, all of Europe should plan to make much bigger investments in the military so that the continent is capable of defending itself.

He welcomed the EU initiative to loosen its regulations in order to offer additional borrowing options for member states.

Scholz says he is “in favor of not just having that discussion now for the next one or two years, but that we ensure in the long term that states can spend as much on defense as they themselves and with their friends and allies see fit.”

In addition, he says, the summit is about “strengthening our European arms industry by giving us more freedom to cooperate with each other and making procurement easier.”

Spanish prime minister says Europe should be part of Ukraine peace talks

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told reporters in Brussels that it was too early to speculate what role Europe should play in a possible ceasefire in Ukraine but reiterated that Ukraine and Europe should be present in any negotiations.

He added that Europe shouldn’t “underestimate itself” amid uncertainty about the future of U.S. participation in Ukraine’s defense.

EU chief executive says Europe has to be able to defend itself

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says “Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself.”

Arriving at the EU summit alongside Zelenskyy, von der Leyen said: “This is a watershed moment for Europe and Ukraine as part of our European family. It’s also a watershed moment for Ukraine.”

Scholz calls on EU to jointly respond to Trump’s tariffs

Ahead of the EU summit in Brussels, Scholz called on the European leaders to act jointly in responding to tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.

He said that “Europe is the strongest economic area in the world with its own opportunities. And that is why it is very important that, especially when it comes to tariffs, we are also clear about how we act in this matter — namely united and determined.”

Ukraine’s ambassador to UK says US is destroying rules-based order

Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom says the United States is destroying the rules-based international order by cozying up to Russia.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi told a conference hosted by the Chatham House think tank that “it’s not just the axis of evil and Russia” disrupting the global system, “but the U.S. is finally destroying this order.”

Speaking through an interpreter, Zaluzhnyi said talks between Washington and Moscow over the Ukraine war showed the White House “makes steps toward the Kremlin, trying to meet them halfway.” He also warned that Russia’s next target “could be Europe.”

The ambassador, a former commander of Ukraine’s armed forces, said NATO might cease to exist in the next few years if the current course continues.

Scholz says EU must ensure US support for Ukraine

Scholz says Europe must continue to support Ukraine financially and militarily.

At the same time, he says, “we must ensure, with a cool and intelligent head, that the support of the USA is also guaranteed in the coming months and years, because Ukraine is also dependent on their support for its defense.”

Outgoing German chancellor throws support behind Ukraine

Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters upon arrival at the EU summit in Brussels that “it is very important that we ensure that Ukraine does not have to accept a dictated peace, but that there will be a fair and just peace that ensures the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”

He says he supports concrete proposals such as silencing weapons in the air and sea, no further threats to Ukraine’s infrastructure and a prisoner exchange, which “can lay the foundation for a ceasefire.”

Baltic nations welcome Macron’s idea of nuclear deterrent

Baltic nations welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal for talks about using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent from Russian threats.

Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda praised a “very interesting idea” at his arrival at an emergency EU summit on defense and Ukraine in Brussels. “We have high expectations because nuclear umbrella would serve as really very serious deterrence towards Russia,” Nausėda said.

Latvia Prime Minister Evika Siliņa said she sees the French proposal “as an opportunity to discuss,” stressing that more time is needed for talks with European allies and at home.

Macron said he has decided to open a “strategic debate” on the protection of European allies by France’s nuclear deterrent. Macron said the use of France’s nuclear weapons would remain only in the hands of the French president.

Kremlin criticizes Macron’s speech as confrontational

The Kremlin on Thursday dismissed as “extremely confrontational” a speech by Emmanuel Macron, in which the French president called Moscow a “threat” to Europe.

In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Macron also said that he’s ready to start discussions on nuclear deterrence with European allies.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a regular call with journalists said the speech was “extremely confrontational” and said that it was clear that France wasn’t thinking about peace.

“One can conclude that France thinks more about war, about continuing the war,” Peskov added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed Peskov, saying during a news conference in Moscow that Macron’s speech and his comments on discussing nuclear deterrence with European allies were a “threat” against Russia.

Zelenskyy arrives at EU summit

Zelenskyy arrived at the emergency EU summit on Thursday and thanked European Union leaders for their unwavering support for Ukraine.

“During all this period, and last week, you stayed with us. … Big appreciation. We are very thankful that we are not alone. And these are not just words — we feel it,” Zelenskyy said.

He said EU support for Ukraine “signals to increase our production, and signals to a new program to increase European security.”

Limited room to increase spending

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed a plan to loosen budget rules so countries that are willing can spend much more on defense. Her proposal is underpinned by 150 billion euros ($162 billion) worth of loans to buy priority military equipment.

Most of the increased defense spending would have to come from national budgets at a time when many countries are already overburdened with debt.

France is struggling to reduce an excessive annual budget deficit of 5% of GDP. Five other countries using the euro currency have debt levels over 100% of GDP: Belgium, Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal. Europe’s largest economy, Germany, has more room to borrow, with a debt level of 62% of GDP.

France steps in to provide military intelligence to Ukraine

France is providing military intelligence to Ukraine after Washington announced it was freezing the sharing of information with Kyiv.

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said, “Our intelligence is sovereign. We have intelligence that we allow Ukraine to benefit from.”

He added that following the U.S. decision to suspend all military aid to Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron asked him to “accelerate the various French aid packages” to make up for the lack of American assistance.

Russian ballistic missile kills 4 in Zelenskyy’s hometown

In Ukraine, a Russian ballistic missile killed four people staying at a hotel in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown during the night.

Zelenskyy said a humanitarian organization’s volunteers had moved into the hotel in Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine, just before the strike, including Ukrainian, American and British nationals. He didn’t say whether those people were among the 31 injured.

Russia fired 112 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as two ballistic Iskander missiles, at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said.

Flurry of early morning meetings in Brussels

Friedrich Merz, the likely next chancellor of Germany, conferred in Brussels with summit chairman Antonio Costa over breakfast on how to fortify Europe’s defenses on a short deadline. Merz only days ago pushed plans to loosen the nation’s rules on running up debt to allow for higher defense spending.

At the same time, the 27-nation bloc was waking up to the news that French President Emmanuel Macron would confer with EU leaders about the possibility of using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent from Russian threats.

The bloc will “take decisive steps forward,” Macron told the French nation Wednesday evening. “Member states will be able to increase their military spending” and “massive joint funding will be provided to buy and produce some of the most innovative munitions, tanks, weapons and equipment in Europe,” he said.

The Associated Press

As Erin Pottie reports, a group behind a proposed daycare expansion say they've hit repeated financial roadblocks along the way.

Houston’s suggestion that only he “knows the realities of this world” and the effects of Trump’s tariffs, and that this is a valid excuse for not fulfilling a constitutional obligation to consult with the Mi’kmaq, is a remarkable admission that he feels he has the right to act on his own.

The post N.S. Premier Tim Houston tries to defend his lack of consultation with Mi’kmaw Chiefs appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Premier Tim Houston made promise about tolls during his election campaign in October.

The post Halifax bridge toll collection to stop two weeks earlier than planned appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

The Arbor Day Foundation announced recognition for city on Thursday.

The post Halifax named Tree City of the World while tree planting program may be cut from budget appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged Thursday to help Puerto Rico in her first visit to the U.S. territory as it struggles to rebuild from catastrophic hurricanes amid chronic power outages.

Noem spoke briefly with reporters during her one-day trip to the island, saying she would look into how the federal government can cut some of the permitting and requirements of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency “to make sure that people are going to get the help that they need and that they were promised.”

FEMA has been funding much of the reconstruction after Hurricane Maria slammed into the island as a Category 4 storm in September 2017, but Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González recently criticized the agency, saying it has not yet released $18 billion slated for the power grid that was razed.

Noem said that she and González talked “extensively” about energy and how the federal government could help streamline efforts to update energy sources on the island. She did not provide further details and did not take questions from the press.

Under the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden, the U.S. Department of Energy invested millions of dollars in solar projects across Puerto Rico, generating more than 1,200 megawatts of new renewable capacity.

Some $6 billion in federal funds have been obligated to help rebuild the power grid, with FEMA approving 200 of more than 440 projects submitted to the agency to repair and strengthen the grid. Of those approved, at least 125 are under construction.

González, who is a supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, said she and Noem also talked about ways to strengthen Puerto Rico’s border security, and how the island can beef up relations with federal security agencies.

“We want to dismantle all those criminal organizations hitting our shores,” González said, adding that Noem’s visit “demonstrates how important Puerto Rico is in this fight.”

Noem traveled to Puerto Rico for a ceremony honoring Michel O. Maceda, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent who was killed in November 2022 during a shootout at sea with suspected drug traffickers. Three other agents were wounded.

Her visit comes weeks after federal agents in Puerto Rico began arresting people believed to be undocumented immigrants, a move that has been widely criticized on the island.

Noem said González is willing to build partnerships with the federal government “not only for the betterment of her people, but also for the United States of America. The mission of the Department of Homeland Security is to protect the American homeland, but to do it with integrity and honor as well.”

González met with Noem days after traveling to Washington D.C. to push for U.S. statehood, a central goal of her New Progressive Party.

Dánica Coto, The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The cockpit voice recorder was not working on a medical transport plane that crashed in Philadelphia in January and likely had not been working for several years, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report issued Thursday. The NTSB also confirmed that the flight crew made no distress calls to air traffic control.

The medical transportation plane plummeted into a residential and commercial area within a minute of taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport and erupted into a fireball on the evening of Jan. 31. Officials said the crash killed all six people aboard the Learjet 55 and a seventh person who was inside a vehicle on the ground. At least two dozen others on the ground were injured, including a 10-year-old boy in a vehicle who was hit by debris while trying to protect his sister.

Those on the plane included an 11-year-old girl who had been receiving medical treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia hospital. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said the plane had been taking Valentina Guzmán Murillo and her 31-year-old mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna, home to Mexico.

Jet Rescue identified its team members as Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, 41; the captain, Alan Montoya Perales, 46; the copilot, Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, 43; and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41. All four were from Mexico.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy has said air traffic controllers didn’t hear anything concerning before the crash.

The high-impact crash left the plane “highly fragmented,” she said. The cockpit voice recorder was recovered about 8 feet (2.4 meters) beneath the ground’s surface.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who visited the crash site with investigators, said that the aircraft came down at “a very steep angle” and that the impact area was notably “expansive.”

City officials said the resulting fire and debris destroyed or significantly damaged more than a dozen homes and businesses.

Andrew Parker Felix, an Orlando, Florida-based lawyer, represents a man who was driving home from work when his SUV became engulfed in jet fuel from the crash. He said the man spent 11 days in an intensive care burn unit, enduring skin grafts.

“This is going to be a long road of recovery in front of him,” Felix said.

At least three other law firms have said they represent victims of the crash.

The crash was among a series of recent aviation disasters and close calls that left some people worried about the safety of flying. It came just two days after an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter collided in midair in Washington, D.C. — the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation.

The Associated Press

A Halifax-area massage therapist is facing a charge of sexual assault following a complaint.

DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump’s short reprieve for U.S. automakers from stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada isn’t likely to allow enough time for those companies to make the changes necessary to minimize the damage from Trump’s intensifying trade war.

Trump granted a one-month exemption to 25% tariffs on vehicles and auto parts traded through the North American trade agreement USMCA after speaking with leaders of automakers Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, the White House said Wednesday. Trump then broadened the exemption beyond autos for Mexico on Thursday.

In response to concerns about the short timeline for auto companies, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that Trump told the companies to “start investing, start moving, shift production here.”

It’s just not that simple.

Automakers “will be hit differently based on exactly where their supply chain is,” said John Paul MacDuffie, professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania. In particular, “GM and Ford have shrunk back from a formerly much more global footprint, but they still are global companies.

“Of course, if the goal is to move a lot of production to the U.S.,” he added, “I guess you could. But I don’t see those changes happening quickly.”

Automakers responded to Wednesday’s news graciously. Ford said in a company statement: “We will continue to have a healthy and candid dialogue with the Administration to help achieve a bright future for our industry and U.S. manufacturing.” Both GM and Stellantis thanked Trump for the exemption in statements.

Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents the three automakers, said he applauds the president “for recognizing that vehicles and parts that meet the high U.S. and regional USMCA content requirements should be exempt from these tariffs.”

But with only a monthlong grace period, automakers know challenges lie ahead.

Why is this so hard for auto companies?

To be sure, as automakers spent decades expanding around the world, they frequently battled supply-related woes and policy changes that hindered production — and their bottom lines.

A disaster halfway across the globe impacting one tiny component, with no easy or obvious supply alternative, can take down a vehicle’s production for weeks.

Contentious labor negotiations and work stoppages have put significant pauses on automaking for the domestic car companies.

The COVID-19 pandemic also interrupted global supply chains and sent new and used vehicle inventory to disastrous lows on dealer lots, causing prices to skyrocket.

“At least automakers have seen some version of this uncertainty,” said Hovig Tchalian, assistant professor at the University of Southern California. “I think this uncertainty is actually higher. But they’ve had some practice doing it.”

Compounding impact

Those disruptions and others throughout the business’s history, however, have made it clear that automakers still can’t respond very quickly.

The tariff exemption is no exception, given the ever-increasing complexity of assembly lines and manufacturing. Plants can’t be moved, factories can’t be built and product lines can’t be changed overnight.

And even with this pause, steel and aluminum tariffs are still expected to go into effect on March 12. Then, on April 2, Trump is expected to set broad “reciprocal” tariffs to match the taxes and subsidies charged by other countries on imports.

Those would disrupt the automotive industry quickly and dramatically, said Sam Fiorani, an analyst at AutoForecast Solutions.

“A substantial change in automotive free trade will hurt stock prices of all automakers because their profits will take a hit and consumers will face higher prices on vehicles, further diluting sales going forward,” he said.

Not only do companies have to decide whether immediate changes in production are realistic, but if they’re unable to do that meaningfully, they might produce or sell fewer vehicles — sending new car buyers to other brands or the used market — and, ultimately, make less money.

“The uncertainty that’s being created for the auto industry is going to inhibit investment as firms try to assess what the future looks like,” said Brett House, a professor at Columbia University’s business school, “and they have very little clarity on it.”

___

Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at [email protected].

Alexa St. John, The Associated Press

The Angus L. Macdonald and A. Murray MacKay bridges will stop collecting tolls as of 5 a.m. on March 17, two weeks ahead of schedule.

If you watched television in the mid-to-late 1990s, you’ll remember an iconic Canadian advertisement that resonated from coast to coast to coast.

It was a Molson commercial with the famous tagline, “I am Canadian!” said loud and proud by actor Jeff Douglas, who played Joe Canadian in the commercial.

Now, a quarter of a century later, he’s back.

Douglas, in class flannel, has uploaded a revamped version of the commercial to his YouTube channel with updated references to the current climate.

“They make a lot of mistakes. They mistake our modesty for meekness. Our kindness for consent. Our nation for another star on their flag and our love for a hot, cheesy poutine, with their love for a hot, cheesy Putin.”

The battle cry goes on to lay into Americans.

“They think they can bully us, threaten us, and push us around, but they do not know us.”

Douglas, who never mentions the U.S. or President Donald Trump, goes on to make references to Terry Fox, Gordon Lightfoot and Gord Downie. He talks about Canada being the birthplace of peanut butter, ketchup chips, and yoga pants.

“And it’s the land of universal healthcare and the bench-clearing brawl,” making a hockey reference.

The ad is set up the same way as the original, with Douglas on a stage with images of patriotism flashing on a big screen behind him.

“This is the land of the peacekeeper and the Shawinigan handshake.”

He points out that Canadians aren’t perfect.

“No! But we are not the 51st anything. We are the first to unite in a crisis. The first to build bridges, not walls, and the first to stand on guard for thee.”

His video ends with footage of Team Canada’s triumphant win at the 4 Nations Face-Off last month.

This comes at a time when Canadian pride is at an all-time high amid ongoing threats from the White House.

Nova Scotia Health says it's the first time the drug has been found in the province's illegal drug supply.

Police have arrested multiple people across Nova Scotia in connection to a national effort crack down on child pornography.

Nova Scotia RCMP said it took part in Project STEEL by executing search warrants targeting online child sexual exploitation offenders with a goal of safeguarding children.

“Project STEEL has been a great success nationally, as well as here in Nova Scotia,” says Cpl. Oliver Roberts. “The coordinated execution of search warrants from Cape Breton to Yarmouth has highlighted the important work being done here and collaboratively across all jurisdictions. All police forces in this province are working hard every day to create and promote safe spaces for everyone, especially children.”

According to Mounties, four search warrants were conducted last month which led to multiple arrests and the seizure of items containing child pornography.

On Feb. 18, the Kentville Police service searched a home on Forest Hill Road where they found child pornography on a cell phone. One person was arrested and will face charges related to possession and transmission of child pornography.

On Feb. 19, multiple units searched a home on Highway 16 in Boylston where officers found child pornography on a cell phone and arrested 24-year-old James Thornley. He has been charged with one count each of possession of child pornography and transmit child pornography.

On Feb. 20, officers in Eskasoni searched a home on Ginger Root Lane where they found a substantial amount of child pornography saved and organized on seized devices. One person will face charges associated to possession and transmission of child pornography. A second person was arrested and released without charges.

Finally, on February 26, police executed a search warrant at a business on Hwy. 3 in Ste. Anne du Ruisseau where they arrested one man. While on scene, police said they found multiple computers and media storage devices with child pornography, and two unsecured firearms. Stephen Doucette, 51, of Lower Argyle, is facing charges of possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, careless storage of firearm, and unauthorized possession of a firearm.

RCMP said the investigations are ongoing and will include further analysis of computers, phones, and other devices seized.

OTTAWA — Conservative MP Jake Stewart says he won’t run in the next election.

In a post on social media, Stewart says the last 18 years in politics have taken a toll on his family and his health.

The news comes after media reports about a dispute between former staffers and the Conservative electoral district association in Miramichi—Grand Lake, and concerns about Stewart’s conduct.

CBC, the Telegraph-Journal and the Toronto Star have reported that staffers complained about a toxic work environment, and that some Conservatives in the area were mobilizing to choose a different candidate for the next election.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment this morning.

Stewart — who was nominated to run for the Conservatives in the next federal election — was first elected to city council in 2008 and served as an MLA in New Brunswick from 2010 until 2021, when he won a seat in the federal election for the Conservatives.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2025.

The Canadian Press

The line would transmit electricity from a wind power substation to the company's proposed hydrogen facility in Point Tupper, N.S.

OTTAWA — The federal government announced Thursday it has reached a settlement with plaintiffs who filed a class action lawsuit over their experiences at so-called “Indian hospitals.”

The federal government ran 33 such hospitals between 1936 and 1981. Former patients, some of whom spent years in the segregated facilities, filed a lawsuit against the government in 2018 alleging the hospitals were rife with abuse and unfair treatment.

Instead of settling the case through the courts, the federal government and the plaintiffs’ lawyers have been negotiating.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced Thursday the federal government has agreed to pay compensation to individual survivors in the range of $10,000 to $200,000.

Ottawa is also earmarking $150 million for a healing fund and $235.5 million for research and education on Indian hospitals.

“I am so glad we have finally reached this stage in the settlement agreement. This class action has been going on for more than seven years,” said representative plaintiff Ann Cecile Hardy in a media statement.

“It has been an exhausting process. For me personally, it has taken most of my adult life to come to terms with what Canada did to me when I was a child.”

The Federal Court will decide whether to accept the settlement during a hearing on June 10 and 11.

“We have a long and painful history in Canada of dispossession, of isolation, of mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples on a range of issues which were very much centered on government policies that have had intergenerational harm and that has caused a great deal of social inequity within Canada,” Anandasangaree said.

“Compensation will not bring back your lost childhood or the three years spent in treatment for (tuberculosis), or loss of language and culture. But we do know that this is the way … our legal systems work, and it in part recognizes that harm.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2025.

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press

Police in Halifax say a man working as a massage therapist in the city has been charged with sexual assault.

Halifax Regional Police says officers received a report in December about an alleged sexual assault that was said to have happened during a massage appointment.

According to police, 43-year-old Sergii Kozub is scheduled to appear in court in April on one count of sexual assault.

“Out of respect and concern for the victim’s privacy and wellbeing, we are not releasing any further details regarding the incident,” police said.

HRP added that there is no statute of limitations on sexual assaults and victims are encouraged to get in touch with police.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Thursday in a television interview that President Donald Trump will “likely” suspend the 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico for most products and services for a month, broadening an exemption that was granted on Wednesday only to autos.

In an interview on CNBC, Lutnick said the one-month delay in the import taxes “will likely cover all USMCA-compliant goods and services,” referring to the trade agreement Trump negotiated in his last term that replaced NAFTA. Lutnick estimated that more than half of what the U.S. imports from those two countries would be eligible for the exemption.

For companies with products that comply with the trade agreement, “you will get a reprieve from the tariffs now,” he said.

Lutnick added that Trump is expected to speak with Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum later Thursday and could make an announcement afterwards.

Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press

CALGARY — South Bow Corp., the oil pipeline operator spun off from TC Energy Corp. last year, says its marketing segment could come under pressure if a 10 per cent tariff on U.S. energy exports persists.

The Calgary-based company says the levy imposed this week, and Canadian counter tariffs against the U.S., have caused volatility in the price difference between heavy Canadian and light U.S. crude prices.

South Bow says it has cut its 2025 outlook for normalized earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in its marketing segment by about $30 million compared with 2024 due in part to the market uncertainty resulting from tariffs.

During the last three months of 2024, South Bow reported normalized net income of $112 million, compared with $94 million during the same period a year earlier when its business was still part of TC Energy.

That amounted to 54 cents per share, compared with 45 cents per share.

Revenue in the quarter dropped to $488 million from $540 million.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2025.

Companies in this story: (TSX:SOBO) (TSX:TRP)

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press

Our history reminds of us the deadly toll of diseases such as smallpox and diphtheria.

The post What museums, archives, and cemeteries can tell us about life and death before vaccines appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Finance Minister John Lohr introduced a seven-point bill on Wednesday to amend legislation that should deliver a modest income tax cut to 568,000 Nova Scotians and extend the province’s control over the pace of housing development in HRM..

The post Provincial control over HRM housing extended another year appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Port Hawkesbury's mayor and business representatives are confident that heavy industries can increase trade with global partners in the early stages of the U.S.-Canada trade war.

The police commission has approved a budget increase of about $700,000 for equipment.

With the uptick in deaths related to intimate partner violence in the province, staff at women's shelters are continuing to work around the clock in hopes of preventing such tragedies. The CBC's Celina Aalders got a rare look inside Bryony House — an emergency shelter for women and children — to see what it's like inside.

Japan’s Seven & i, the parent company of the Japanese 7-Eleven convenience store chain, said Thursday it is selling its supermarket store assets to Bain Capital for about $5.4 billion.

The company announced the deal a day after naming Stephen Dacus, its board chairman, to be its president and CEO.

It also said it plans an initial public offering in the U.S. of 7-Eleven or SEI, its convenience store business in North America, by the end of 2026. Funds from the IPO and the sale to Bain will be returned to shareholders in the form of share buybacks worth 2 trillion yen ($5.4 billion).

Seven & i’s share price jumped 6.1% in Tokyo.

The deal follows Seven & i’s rejection of a takeover bid by Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard. Dacus said earlier that the offer had undervalued the potential of the convenience store business and failed to fully address U.S. regulatory concerns.

The 7-Eleven franchise includes 86,000 stores in the U.S., Japan and other Asian nations.

Last year, Seven & i announced a restructuring plan to strengthen its U.S. operations and streamline operations, closing some Ito-Yokado supermarkets in Japan.

The omnipresent 7-Eleven convenience stores remain popular in Japan, having replaced many mom and pop shops. Convenience stores are a mainstay in many neighborhoods.

Seven & i earlier sold its Sogo & Seibu department stores in Japan to Fortress Investment Group, a U.S. fund, for $1.5 billion. It said it also plans to reduce its share in Seven Bank

Elaine Kurtenbach, The Associated Press

A rainfall warning has been issued for HRM and a significant portion of Nova Scotia, including Shelburne, Queens, Lunenburg, and Halifax counties.

Environment Canada issued the warning this morning, forecasting rain to begin across most areas today, with HRM seeing rain by early afternoon.

The rain is expected to continue through the evening and overnight hours, tapering off tomorrow morning.

Total rainfall amounts are expected to range from 25 to 35 mm.

Environment Canada warns that such rainfall, especially at this time of year, could lead to localized flooding.

Drug trafficking investigations have resulted in multiple charges for several people in Nova Scotia.

According to the RCMP, police executed four search warrants between February 26 and 28 as part of ongoing drug trafficking investigations.

On February 26, police used their first warrant at a home on Hwy 1 in Salmon River, where officers seized pre-filled syringes containing suspected fentanyl and two firearms. Two men were safely arrested at the scene. They face multiple charges, including possession for the purpose of trafficking, as well as multiple weapons offences.

The next day, police executed two search warrants at two apartments in Digby, where they seized crack cocaine and cash. Three men were arrested at the apartments and face numerous charges, including possession for the purpose of trafficking and failure to comply with an order.

Finally, on February 28, a man and a woman were arrested and charged in South Rawdon after police seized cocaine, methamphetamine, and an imitation gun, among other items. They are facing multiple drug trafficking charges.

Police say all of the accused have been released pending upcoming court appearances.

This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A former police detective was convicted Wednesday of lying to the FBI in order to protect a Mafia family’s illegal gambling operations in the New York City suburbs.

Hector Rosario, a former detective for the Nassau County police on Long Island, was also acquitted of obstruction of justice, the top charge he had faced. The jury in the case had been deliberating since Tuesday following a seven-day trial in Brooklyn federal court.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York John Durham, whose office prosecuted the case, called the 15-year police veteran a “corrupt detective” who chose loyalty to the mob “over the public he was sworn to protect.”

“Hector Rosario cared more about lining his pockets with Bonanno family money and protecting his own interests than his fidelity to the law,” added Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “He disgracefully compromised the investigative work of his fellow detectives by tipping off a target and lied to federal agents as the walls were closing in on him.”

For years, prosecutors said the 51-year-old Mineola resident accepted thousands of dollars in payments from Bonanno crime family members.

In exchange, they said, he tipped off a mobster that he was under investigation and looked up the home address of a witness he believed was cooperating with authorities.

Rosario even steered law enforcement raids toward competing gambling parlors and conducted his own fake police bust on a shoe repair shop that served as a front for a rival Genovese crime family operation.

Prosecutors said Rosario was interviewed by FBI agents in 2020 as they investigated Bonanno and Genovese criminal activity in the suburbs east of New York City. But they said he falsely stated he had no information about the Mafia or illegal gambling spots.

Rosario, who was fired from the department in 2022, faces up to five years in prison.

The charge of obstruction of justice carried a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, but Rosario was acquitted after his lawyers argued he wasn’t trying to interfere with the federal investigation because he wasn’t aware they were looking into his criminal associates, Newsday reported.

Lawyers for Rosario, who remains out on bail, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday. Outside court, they said they planned to appeal the conviction, The New York Times reported.

During the trial, Rosario’s lawyers argued the case hinged on the unreliable testimony of mobsters now cooperating with prosecutors as they faced their own criminal charges.

Rosario was among some nine people charged when federal authorities busted what they described as a lucrative racket and throwback to the Mafia’s heyday in New York.

Prosecutors said the other defendants had colorful nicknames like “Joe Fish,” “Sal the Shoemaker” and “Joe Box,” and ran backroom gambling dens from fronts including a coffee bar, a soccer club and the shoe repair shop.

Besides illegal gambling, the mobsters faced racketeering, money laundering and conspiracy charges.

Philip Marcelo, The Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A truck driver who killed seven farmworkers when he crashed into a parked van on Interstate 5 in Oregon was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly 50 years in prison.

Marion County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Wren sentenced Lincoln Smith to 48 years and 3 months, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

He was convicted in February on seven counts of second-degree manslaughter and three counts of assault, as well as reckless driving. Jurors acquitted the 54-year-old Californian of driving under the influence of intoxicants.

Testifying at trial, Smith said the effects of drugs he took the night before the crash had worn off and he nodded off at the wheel. Traces of methamphetamine, fentanyl and morphine were found in his blood after the crash.

The crash, one of the state’s deadliest, happened in May 2023. Smith’s semitruck ran into a van carrying 11 farmworkers that was parked on the side of I-5 near Albany, in an agricultural area of the Willamette Valley.

The victims were identified as Juan Carlos Leyva-Carrillo, 37; Gabriel Juarez-Tovilla, 58; Alejandra Espinoza-Carpio, 39; Eduardo Lopez-Lopez, 31; Luis Enrique Gomez-Reyes, 30; Alejandro Jimenez-Hernandez, 36; and Josue Garcia-Garcia, 30.

Smith apologized in court, saying that if he could trade his life for any of the victims’ lives, he would, KGW-TV reported.

Albany is about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Portland. I-5 is the main north-south interstate on the West Coast.

The Associated Press

Mi'kmaw activists, social justice, labour, and environmental groups organized event to oppose changes by government.

The post ‘Beware Tim Houston, we’re coming’: “Special interests” rally held in Halifax appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Halifax's police board chair, who was the subject of public complaints, is leaving the oversight committee after just a few weeks in the role.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chief of staff to House Speaker Mike Johnson was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing into a police vehicle following President Donald Trump’s address to Congress.

Hayden Haynes was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence and later released.

In a statement, U.S. Capitol Police said Haynes had “backed into a parked vehicle” shortly before midnight. Officers responded to the scene and the driver was arrested, the statement said.

“The Speaker is aware of the encounter that occurred last night involving his Chief of Staff and the Capitol Police,” Johnson spokesperson Taylor Haulsee said. “The Speaker has known and worked closely with Hayden for nearly a decade and trusted him to serve as his Chief of Staff for his entire tenure in Congress. Because of this and Hayden’s esteemed reputation among Members and staff alike, the Speaker has full faith and confidence in Hayden’s ability to lead the Speaker’s office.”

Haynes is a longtime, trusted aide to Johnson — a Louisiana Republican — and has served as the speaker’s chief of staff since Johnson took on the role in 2023.

Haynes didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment and it was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

NBC News first reported details of the arrest.

The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Doja Cat took her front-row seat at Balmain’s fall show at Paris Fashion Week, fresh off her appearance at the Oscars in a custom beaded Balmain gown. But on the runway, designer Olivier Rousteing shifted from red carpet opulence to a new kind of luxury, built on sculptural knitwear, fluid draping and dazzling blown-up zebra motifs.

The Wednesday night collection opened with a now-familiar silhouette from Rousteing — a swooping hooded sweater, this time paired with a leather peplum and relaxed leather trousers. Knitwear remained the focus — draped mohair, wool jersey dresses and cocooning sweaters gave the collection a sense of ease.

The monochrome “groutfit” made a strong showing, broken up by the rich textural play of pleats, ruched tops and embossed leathers that kept the palette from falling flat.

That softness found its counterbalance in statement hardware and a flash of animalistic energy. Chunky bracelets, talon earrings and that bold, graphic zebra motif, paired with oversized coats and slouchy boots reminded us this was still Balmain.

The footwear was a standout. Sculpturally twisted pumps and fuzzy or buttery-soft leather boots injected a playful contrast into the collection’s rhythm of black, white and bursts of citrus orange.

Though the emphasis on draping and ease was a shift, the Balmain DNA shone through in the accessories. Rousteing’s experiment with volume felt like a recalibration rather than a reinvention, proving once again that luxury isn’t just about excess, but knowing when to let the clothes breathe.

The Associated Press

The only daily TV news package to focus on Nova Scotians and their stories

Watch Tom Murphy's interview with Duncan Williams of the Construction Association of Nova Scotia.

Hundreds of people gathered outside Province House on Wednesday to rally against what they call an attack on democracy by the Houston government.