NHL suspends Florida Panthers exec for ‘inappropriate' social media posts amid playoff series against Leafs
The X account of Douglas Cifu, who is the vice chairman, partner and alternate governor of the Panthers, is now deactivated. But screenshots appear to show Cifu arguing on Sunday with a fan, calling them a '51st state anti Semite loser' and while promoting the elimination of Hamas.
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CBC
6 hours ago
- CBC
Israel 'operated clans' in Gaza, Netanyahu says, after being accused of arming Palestinian militias
Social Sharing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has "operated clans" in Gaza in a video published on social media Thursday after an opposition leader accused him of arming Palestinian militias in order to bolster opposition to Hamas. When asked about the allegations made by Avigdor Lieberman, leader of one of the opposition parties in the Knesset and a former defence minister, and whether he made them for political gain, Netanyahu said:. "What did Lieberman leak? ... That with the advice of security forces, we have operated clans in Gaza who oppose Hamas. What's wrong with that? It is only good. It only saves IDF soldiers' lives." In the video posted on his Facebook and X accounts, Netanyahu said releasing details of Israel's actions is "benefiting only Hamas," according to a translation of the original Hebrew from Reuters. In the wake of Lieberman's comments, The Times of Israel reported that Israel had transferred weapons to Yasser Abu Shabab, a leader of a large clan in the Rafah area that is among those accused of looting humanitarian aid. Rafah is now under full Israeli army control. The reported cited a defence source. The New York Times reported similar details citing two Israeli officials close to the matter who told the paper that Israeli authorities had provided "support, including weapons, to Yasser Abu Shabab." Abu Shabab denies receiving arms from Israel A few hours after Netanyahu's video was posted on social media, Abu Shabab posted a statement on Facebook in which he claimed Israeli media reports were false and denied that he received weapons from Israel. "We categorically reject these accusations and consider them a blatant attempt to distort the image of a grassroots force born from suffering—one that stood up to injustice, looting, and corruption," the statement read. It went on to say that the weapons his group does use are from the "support of our own people." Abu Shabab said his clan would never be "a tool of the occupation" and called on Israel to present evidence to Palestinian people and the media. Abu Shabab previously said that he was building up a force to secure aid deliveries into some parts of Gaza. Aid sites shuttered on Friday Meanwhile, aid distribution in Gaza was halted on Friday after the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said overcrowding had made it unsafe to continue operations in the latest disruption to its troubled relief effort. With severe food shortages plaguing the coastal enclave, fighting continued in many areas of the Gaza Strip. Local health authorities said 16 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes, mostly in northern Gaza, while the Israeli army said four of its soldiers were killed and five were wounded by an explosion in a building in Khan Younis to the south. WATCH | GHF aid sites close due to 'safety concerns': Gaza aid group closes distribution centres over safety concerns 8 hours ago Duration 3:33 Ten Palestinians were killed by Israeli tank fire in Gaza on Friday, local health authorities said, as a U.S.- and Israeli-backed group handing out aid in the enclave said all its distribution sites were closed until further notice. In a day of confusing messaging, the GHF first announced its distribution sites in southern Gaza were closed then it revealed that it had actually handed out food, before saying that it had had to close its gates as a precautionary measure. "The distribution was conducted peacefully and without incident; however, it was paused due to excessive crowding that made it unsafe to proceed," it said in a statement. As Palestinians across the war-ravaged Gaza Strip marked the start of one of Islam's most important holidays, Eid al-Adha, Israeli forces continued military operations that they say are needed to root out and destroy Hamas militants. The Israeli military said four soldiers were killed in a booby-trapped building, which brought the army death toll to eight since the start of June. Eid prayers held amid rubble The army earlier issued new evacuation orders for areas in and around Gaza City, warning of an imminent attack. With many residential areas of Gaza reduced to rubble by months of fighting, locals held Eid al-Adha prayer services in the open, next to bombed-out mosques and homes. "As you can see, we are holding Eid prayers, while the bombing, shelling and planes are ongoing," said Umm Mahmoud in Khan Younis. The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling. The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of aid distribution that the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. It suspended operations on Wednesday and asked the Israeli military to review security protocols after hospital officials said more than 80 people had been shot dead and hundreds wounded near distribution points between June 1 and 3. After the two-month ceasefire broke down in March, Israel blockaded aid supplies into Gaza for 11 weeks, prompting a famine warning from a global hunger monitor. Israel, which has only partially lifted the blockade since, vets all aid into Gaza and accuses Hamas of stealing some of it, something the militant group denies. WATCH l Friend of Weinstein, Haggai relieved family gets 'peace of mind': Israel has re-intensified an offensive against Gaza's dominant Hamas militant group since breaking a two-month-old ceasefire in March in a war triggered by the cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, led by Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by several countries including Canada. The initial attacks killed 1,200 people in Israel, including several Canadian citizens. Some 251 hostages were also taken, with around a couple dozen believed still alive, according to the Israeli government. While many of the remaining were freed in periodic prisoner exchanges, the bodies of other hostages have been repatriated, including Canadian citizen Judih Weinstein and her husband just this week. Israel's military campaign in response to those attacks has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Cision Canada
14 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Statement by Special Representative Amira Elghawaby on the Fourth Anniversary of the London Family Attack - June 6, 2025 Français
OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - Today marks four years since the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of four members of the Afzaal family in London, Ontario – an act of Islamophobic hatred that shook Canadians from coast to coast to coast. It was not only an attack on one family, or community, but on our shared values as Canadians. It is important to remember Salman, Madiha, Yumnah, and Talat, and to honour "Our London Family" by continuing the vital work of combatting Islamophobia and all forms of hate for a more inclusive Canada. We continue to hear about concerning incidents of Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab hate. One of the most recent attacks was on a Muslim woman at the Ajax Public Library where the assailant forcibly removed her hijab and attempted to set it on fire. As Canada's Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, I remain steadfast in my commitment to supporting the federal government's efforts towards promoting inclusion, advancing safety and well-being, and protecting freedom of religion and civil liberties for all. I have been hearing from families, community members and leaders, from a range of backgrounds and experiences who are dedicated to nurturing safer communities. They have been calling for more action to ensure that Canada is a place where everyone can be proud of who they are and free to worship as they wish. Their experiences and insights are key towards building community-informed solutions, including creating resources that can be utilized in workplaces, schools, and within community spaces. This year, we launched a landmark resource to support these efforts: the Canadian Guide on Understanding and Combatting Islamophobia: For a more inclusive Canada, the first government-produced document of its kind. In memory of "Our London Family", and all those who were deliberately killed in Islamophobic attacks in our country, let us recommit to advancing awareness, understanding, and hope.
Calgary Herald
14 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
The NHL has a sports-tax problem, but so what?
For all the chatter these past few weeks about how Florida not having personal income tax has handed the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning an advantage in player recruitment, the noise died pretty quickly Wednesday. Article content Yes, some teams have raised the issue, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told a group of reporters in Edmonton before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final between the Panthers and Edmonton Oilers. But the league isn't worried about it. Article content Article content Article content 'These imbalances have existed forever. Like, there's nothing new here,' he said. 'There are so many reasons why a player may choose to play in a particular location, for a particular team, for a particular coach, that have nothing to do with the tax situation in that market. So, I don't expect it's anything we're going to address proactively as part of this collective bargaining negotiation.' Article content Article content The NHLPA doesn't seem fussed either. Assistant executive-director Ron Hainsey said he was 'baffled' by the discussion, for much the same reason as Daly — this is not a new thing. It's only because the two Florida teams have found success that a spotlight has fallen on them. Article content From a simple accounting perspective, there is a clear advantage. A player's take-home pay in Florida is higher than it is in other jurisdictions, even if property taxes might be higher. That means that to offer a player an equivalent take-home pay to playing in Florida, the actual salary offer from the Panthers or Lightning is lower than what the Canucks might offer. Article content Article content And that obviously means a player signing in Florida, if they are indeed signing for a little less in on-paper salary, leaves more cap room for the team to work to sign another player. Article content Article content 'Marginal at best,' Panthers GM Bill Zito said about whether he has found that players are more willing to sign with his team because the taxes are lower. Article content The equation, simply put, is more complicated. Some players simply want to play in a location more than anything. The taxes are less important to them that the style of living. Article content The Florida tax problem isn't unique to hockey, nor is it a Canada vs. U.S. thing. Different locations in the United States face this same problem — it's an issue that exists in baseball, basketball, football and soccer too. They just don't talk about it. Article content Vancouver Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster admitted this week that taxes are an issue he has faced in trying to sign free agents with Major League Soccer. A couple years ago, he made an offer to a player who was a free agent under the league's rules, able to sign with any team in the league — which is not the case for all players once they are in MLS — and while the player was intrigued by the Whitecaps and the role he might play, he instead signed with a team in a low-tax state.
