Hong Kong rights group shuts down after years of advocating for workers
HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong group that advocated for workers rights for decades announced its shutdown abruptly on Thursday, citing financial difficulties and debt issues.
China Labor Bulletin planned to stop updating its website content and appeared to have deleted Facebook and Instagram social media accounts used by the nonprofit rights organization.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to spotlight Venice's artisanal heritage during upcoming nuptials
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have invited celebrity friends like fellow space traveler Katy Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger and Ivanka Trump for their Venice nuptials later this month, but the couple hopes to put a spotlight on Venice's traditions during the celebrations. They are sourcing some 80% of their wedding provisions from Venetian vendors, according to people close to the couple, as a way to share their appreciation for the romantic lagoon city. The wedding will take place over three days in late June, with events kept private. Two historic Venetian companies will add artisanal touches to the celebration: Rosa Salva, the city's oldest pastry maker that has been crafting donut-shaped fishermen's biscuits since 1876, and Laguna B, a design studio known for its distinctive handblown Murano glass prized by fashion and design clients. Treats good for fishermen and VIPs alike Antonio Rosa Salva, the 6th generation in his family to run the business, said the wedding order of a selection of surprises for goody bags was important recognition of his family's long tradition of baking Venetian specialties dating back 150 years. They include the bussola buttery biscuit that was long a fisherman's staple, and small zaletti cookies, made from the Veneto region's corn meal, flavored with raisins and lemon zest. 'We try to maintain the old recipes,'' said Rosa Salva, whose family business includes a catering service and four locations in Venice's historic center and one on the mainland. 'We do everything with love. It's a pleasure and a privilege.'' Rosa Salva, whose business regularly caters large events for 1,000 or more people in Venice, is perplexed by posters that have gone up around the historic center protesting the use of the city as a venue for the Bezos-Sanchez wedding. 'Events like this bring quality tourism to Venice,'' he said. 'I don't see how an event with 200 people can create disruptions. It's responsible tourism. It's prestigious that a couple like this, who can go anywhere in the world, are getting married in the city.' Collectible glass wear with social responsibility Laguna B was founded by Marie Brandolini, who became known as the glass countess, in 1994, and the company is now being guided by her son, Marcantonio, from the family's palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal. The younger Brandolini said his vision is to restore the Venetian tradition of running creative enterprises out of Venice's grand palazzi, which historically dedicated the ground floor to work spaces for the merchant nobility. His is a good example. The company employs 14 people under 30 out of offices in the back garden and a boutique in an adjacent alleyway, in a sector, he underlines, 'not related to tourism.'' His upstairs neighbors are Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller – close friends of Bezos and Sanchez, but he doesn't think that is why the wedding planner singled out his company, which is well known among a small network of collectors. Laguna B won't disclose what his master glassblowers on Murano have created for the wedding, but the company is known for distinctive glassware that at times feature an undulating lip – no two alike. 'I hope they like what we did for them,'' Brandolini said. 'For us, it's a great opportunity, it gives extra support for our growth.'' While the business thrives on such important orders, Brandolini said he is equally gratified by young, discerning customers who seek out the shop because they admire the company's commitment to community building, reviving Venice's artisanal heritage and projects to help protect the fragile lagoon. They might buy just a single drinking glass. His is a message of inclusivity, which he also applies to the Bezos-Sanchez choice of wedding venue. 'The world is for everybody. Whoever wants to do something, should be able to do it, following the law.' Venice protests Unsurprisingly in a city whose future is fiercely debated at every turn, the wedding has attracted the attention of protesters, who on Thursday hung a banner on St. Mark's bell tower with Bezos crossed out. They cite the risk of disruptions in a city so overrun with mass tourism that officials are for a second year requiring day-trippers to pay a tax to enter on key summer days. City officials have pledged that services will function normally during the wedding, and issued a denial in late March to reports that the wedding organizers had booked half the city's water taxis and blocked out rooms at luxury hotels. 'We are very proud,'' Mayor Luigi Brugnaro told The Associated Press this week in St. Mark's Square, saying he hoped he would get the chance to meet Bezos. 'I don't know if I will have time, or if he will, to meet and shake hands, but it's an honor that they chose Venice. Venice once again reveals itself to be a global stage.''
Toronto Star
7 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Canadian and U.S. stocks down after Israeli attacks on Iran, price of oil jumps
TORONTO - Canada's main stock index closed down along with U.S. markets Friday as investors turned cautious following Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear and military targets. The attacks, which prompted Iran to fire missiles at Israel in retaliation, raised fears the conflict could escalate further and led to a spike in the price of oil. 'It's clearly a risk-off situation, and a spot where people that maybe want to take a little bit of risk off the table have the opportunity to do so,' said Dustin Reid, chief fixed income strategist at Mackenzie Investments. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Oil prices leapt, and stocks fell on worries that escalating violence following Israel's attack on Iranian nuclear and military targets could damage the flow of crude around the world, along with the global economy. (AP Video / June 13, 2025) The price of oil, already rising this week, spiked over fears of supply and trade disruptions, with the August crude oil contract up US$4.65 at US$71.29 per barrel. Higher oil prices helped soften the effects of the pullback on the S&P/TSX composite index, which closed down 111.40 points at 26,504.35 but was less affected than U.S. markets, noted Reid. 'You see materials and energy, subcomponents here within the TSX doing a little bit better, and keeping the index probably, you know, outperforming versus others.' The TSX energy index was up 2.8 per cent and gold stocks moved higher as the metal also rose, helping offset losses in most other sectors including financials, telecoms and technology. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 769.83 points, or 1.8 per cent, at 42,197.79. The S&P 500 index was down 68.29 points at 5,976.97, while the Nasdaq composite was down 255.66 points at 19,406.83. A big concern for markets is that higher oil prices will put pressure on inflation, and in turn affect interest rate decisions, said Reid. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'It's not particularly constructive for the idea that central banks can cut rates any time soon.' The higher prices could also dampen consumer spending, while the wider situation also creates higher degrees of uncertainty, he said. 'It's probably not great for global sentiment, consumer sentiment,' said Reid. 'So I am a little bit concerned here that the gains that have been had over the last handful of weeks, could be somewhat at risk.' The Canadian dollar rose, trading for 73.54 cents US compared with 73.46 cents US on Thursday, thanks in part to higher oil prices, but it didn't move as much as it might have because investors fled to the U.S. dollar for safety, said Reid. 'The Canadian dollar is surprisingly flat, kind of net net today, against the U.S. dollar anyway,' he said. 'We are seeing a decent bid for the U.S. dollar on safe haven, which has not been the case particularly since early April.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Canadian dollar wasn't helped by manufacturing sales data out Friday that showed a fall of 2.8 per cent in April, the largest monthly drop since October 2023, as the tariff dispute with the United States hit the industry. 'The organic Canadian economy is slowing, and will continue to slow, and you can see it across different spots of the economy, manufacturing clearly being one,' said Reid. The July natural gas contract was up nine cents US at US$3.58 per mmBTU. The August gold contract was up US$50.40 at US$3,452.80 an ounce and the July copper contract was down three cents US at US$4.81 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)
Winnipeg Free Press
12 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Federal judge blocks Trump's firing of Consumer Product Safety Commission members
BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal judge has blocked the terminations of three Democratic members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission after they were fired by President Donald Trump in his effort to assert more power over independent federal agencies. The commission helps protect consumers from dangerous products by issuing recalls, suing errant companies and more. Trump announced last month his decision to fire the three Democrats on the five-member commission. They were serving seven-year terms after being nominated by President Joe Biden. After suing the Trump administration last month, the fired commissioners received a ruling in their favor Friday; it will likely be appealed. Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued the case was clearcut. Federal statute states that the president can fire commissioners 'for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office but for no other cause' — allegations that have not been made against the commissioners in question. But attorneys for the Trump administration assert that the statute is unconstitutional because the president's authority extends to dismissing federal employees who 'exercise significant executive power,' according to court filings. U.S. District Judge Matthew Maddox agreed with the plaintiffs, declaring their dismissals unlawful. He had previously denied their request for a temporary restraining order, which would have reinstated them on an interim basis. That decision came just days after the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority declined to reinstate board members of two other independent agencies, endorsing a robust view of presidential power. The court said that the Constitution appears to give the president the authority to fire the board members 'without cause.' Its three liberal justices dissented. In his written opinion filed Friday, Maddox presented a more limited view of the president's authority, finding 'no constitutional defect' in the statute that prohibits such terminations. He ordered that the plaintiffs be allowed to resume their duties as product safety commissioners. The ruling adds to a larger ongoing legal battle over a 90-year-old Supreme Court decision known as Humphrey's Executor. In that case from 1935, the court unanimously held that presidents cannot fire independent board members without cause. The decision ushered in an era of powerful independent federal agencies charged with regulating labor relations, employment discrimination, the airwaves and much else. But it has long rankled conservative legal theorists who argue the modern administrative state gets the Constitution all wrong because such agencies should answer to the president. During a hearing before Maddox last week, arguments focused largely on the nature of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and its powers, specifically whether it exercises 'substantial executive authority.' Maddox, a Biden nominee, noted the difficulty of cleanly characterizing such functions. He also noted that Trump was breaking from precedent by firing the three commissioners, rather than following the usual process of making his own nominations when the opportunity arose. Abigail Stout, an attorney representing the Trump administration, argued that any restrictions on the president's removal power would violate his constitutional authority. After Trump announced the Democrats' firings, four Democratic U.S. senators sent a letter to the president urging him to reverse course. 'This move compromises the ability of the federal government to apply data-driven product safety rules to protect Americans nationwide, away from political influence,' they wrote. The Consumer Product Safety Commission was created in 1972. Its five members must maintain a partisan split, with no more than three representing the president's party. They serve staggered terms. That structure ensures that each president has 'the opportunity to influence, but not control,' the commission, attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote in court filings. They argued the recent terminations could jeopardize the commission's independence. Attorney Nick Sansone, who represents the three commissioners, praised the ruling Friday. 'Today's opinion reaffirms that the President is not above the law,' he said in a statement.
