Latest news with #Presi
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Spring whiteout hits downtown Winnipeg as thousands take to street for start of Jets' playoff run
NHL playoff fever had the streets of downtown Winnipeg buzzing on Saturday, with thousands of fans flocking to watch their home team in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. On the ice at the Canada Life Centre, the Winnipeg Jets are facing the St. Louis Blues in the first match of their best-of-seven series. Outside the downtown arena in the hours leading up to the 5 p.m. puck drop, Jets fans painted a stretch of Donald Street white for the first whiteout street party of the season, a sold-out event with a capacity of 5,000. Another 1,200 were expected for the Party in the Plaza at True North Square, which is also sold out for Game 1. The spring whiteout brought fans from near and far, including one who travelled roughly 15,000 kilometres to watch the Jets play. Rob Psaila, centre, travelled from Melbourne, Australia, to see Game 1 of the series. He's been a fan of the team since a visit to Winnipeg four years ago. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC) "To come to a Jets game — not only just a Jets game but one of the playoff games — gee, you couldn't ask for anything better," said Rob Psaila, a firefighter from Melbourne, Australia. He became a Jets fan during a visit to Canada four years ago, visiting through firefighter friends. Winnipeg was the first Canadian city he visited back then, and the warm welcome he got from locals made him feel like he was at home. So "it was just natural for me to start supporting the Winnipeg Jets," he said. "It's just like my home football team." But one thing was missing for him: a theme song for the team and about the team. So he adapted Melbourne's football fan song to the Jets. "A fighting fury, we're from Winnipeg/ In any weather you will see us with a grin/ Risking head and shin/ If we're behind then never mind/ We'll fight and fight to win!" Psaila sang, giving a rendition of the song he adapted for the Jets. Fans painted the streets around the downtown Canada Life Centre white ahead of the 5 p.m. puck drop. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC) For Winnipeggers, it comes as a surprise people in Australia follow ice hockey, he said, but in Melbourne, there are fans of every NHL team. "Melbourne is a sporting capital of Australia. We'll get 30,000 people out to two bugs racing up a wall," he joked. Psaila is planning to literally follow the Jets on their first-round run, staying in Winnipeg for Game 2 on Monday and then going to St. Louis for Game 3 on Thursday. "Let's hope the Jets get in there and give them a good smashing," he said. "We are going to do a fantastic job, I have no doubt at all." Though he didn't come quite as far, Calgary's Brad Yakiwchuck also said he was in town to see the Jets "beat the wheels off the Blues" on Saturday. Yakiwchuck, who has been a fan of the Jets since the team announced its return to Winnipeg, said this is the most excited he's seen the team's fans in a long time, in part after an impressive regular season that closed with a franchise record of 116 points and saw the Jets clinch their first Presidents' Trophy for top regular-season record in the league. "I think if there has ever been a year for us to win the [Stanley] Cup, this is the one," Yakiwchuck said. "I really hope this is the year."
Zawya
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio and First Lady Fatima Maada Bio, Join Muslims Nationwide to Celebrate Eid-Al-Fitr, Appeal for National Harmony
His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, First Lady Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, and senior government officials joined Muslims across Sierra Leone and the world to celebrate Eid-Al-Fitr, marking the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The occasion brought together thousands of Muslims who had observed the month-long fast to express gratitude and praise to Allah for His blessings. The day is regarded as a moment of divine reward, signifying the successful completion of fasting and spiritual purification. Delivering the sermon, Sheikh Abu Bakarr Conteh, Imam of Hamdallah Mosque, expressed gratitude to Allah for the gift of Ramadan. He reaffirmed the Islamic creed, testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is His Messenger. The Imam emphasized that on Pray-Day (Eid), Allah descends to bestow blessings and rewards upon all Muslims who have observed the holy month with devotion. He encouraged Muslims to uphold the values of unity, generosity, and solidarity, urging them to continue embodying the discipline and spiritual consciousness acquired during Ramadan. Speaking on the theme 'The Welfare of Planet Earth: A Concern for Mankind,' Sheikh Conteh underscored the Islamic obligation to protect the environment. He cited Quranic verses (Quran 44:38 and Quran 51:56) that mandate humanity to safeguard nature and honor Allah through stewardship of the earth. He urged all citizens to act responsibly towards the environment and resist destructive practices. The Imam concluded his sermon with prayers for Allah's blessings, protection, and guidance upon Sierra Leone. He called for patriotism, national unity, and obedience to lawful authority, reminding all to respect one another and work towards the common good. President Julius Maada Bio expressed joy in celebrating Eid-Al-Fitr with Muslims nationwide, acknowledging the significance of the occasion for both Muslims and Christians, as both faiths worship the same Almighty God. He praised Sierra Leone for its exceptional religious tolerance, highlighting that the country remains a model for peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians. He urged Muslims to continue adhering to the principles of Islam that promote unity and social cohesion, which have long contributed to Sierra Leone's stability. The President also commended Sheikh Conteh for his sermon, emphasizing the interconnectedness between humanity and the environment. He reiterated his government's commitment to environmental protection and encouraged citizens to be mindful of their responsibilities in preserving natural resources for future generations. First Lady Dr. Fatima Maada Bio expressed gratitude to Islamic scholars for their dedication throughout Ramadan, leading prayers and guiding the faithful. She also thanked President Bio for his unwavering support to Muslims across the country, including providing food assistance during the holy month. She prayed for continued divine blessings upon the President, his family, and all Sierra Leoneans, wishing the nation peace, prosperity, and unity. The Eid-Al-Fitr celebrations reaffirmed Sierra Leone's commitment to religious harmony and national unity. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Sierra Leone.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Hiring Freeze Throws Wildfire Fighters Into Disarray
(Bloomberg) -- Federal firefighters have found their jobs on the chopping block as a result of US President Donald Trump's executive orders, with a hiring freeze simultaneously blocking reinforcements in the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires and ahead of the upcoming fire season. Why American Mobility Ground to a Halt Saudi Arabia's Neom Signs $5 Billion Deal for AI Data Center SpaceX Bid to Turn Texas Starbase Into City Is Set for Vote in May Cutting Arena Subsidies Can Help Cover Tax Cuts, Think Tank Says Can Portland Turn a Corner? 'I know multiple people who were supposed to start work on Monday and were not able to,' said Rachel Granberg, a firefighter who serves as representative for the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), in an interview this week. A US District Court judge on Wednesday cleared the way for Trump's buyout offers to millions of federal employees, overcoming a lawsuit by labor unions. Granberg warned that without an exemption to the Trump administration's widespread hiring freeze, 'we're not going to have fire crews fully staffed.' Potential reductions to the approximately 18,000 federal firefighters, who are trained to battle blazes deep inside forests as well as at the intersection of cities and nature, would come at a time when their work has never been more crucial. Rising temperatures are contributing to faster-burning fires and ensuring blazes occur more frequently and torch more land. Climate change has also extended the burning season by two months in the US since the 1970s. Yet the ranks of firefighters haven't increased, and now reinforcements aren't on the way. The union representing federal firefighters said that job offers have been withdrawn due to the hiring freeze.'The LA fires may have had less destruction if the proper crews were fully staffed,' said Pat Bouman, a former federal firefighter who is now a member of the New York City Fire Department, referring to highly specialized 'hot shot' crews employed by the government. 'It's a wildly risky move to invite your firefighter workforce to leave in February, a few weeks before you expect fire season to ramp up,' said Rob Arnold, a union representative with NFFE. Federal firefighters are spread out across five agencies: the US Forest Service, which is part of the Department of Agriculture, as well as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Fish and Wildlife Service, which are part of the Interior Department. Crews from these agencies move around the country as fire hotspots shift throughout the year. For the US Southwest, fire season ramps up next month. 'Wildland firefighting positions are considered public safety positions,' said a spokesperson for the Forest Service, adding that the agency is working with the Office of Personnel Management on the wildland firefighting positions. A spokesperson for the Interior Department said it 'continues to review funding decisions to be consistent with the President's Executive Orders.' Past federal hiring freezes have exempted firefighters. In a round of government job cuts in 2017, during the first Trump administration, firefighters weren't affected. This time is different, although the consequences of the 60-day freeze that started on Jan. 20 remain unclear. 'There is a lot of confusion,' Granberg said. About half of all federal firefighters are currently employed as full-time workers, according to Granberg, while the other half are seasonal hires. Granberg herself is impacted by the freeze: She's been a seasonal federal firefighter for the past 10 years and is a squad boss who manages helicopter crews. Because her paperwork needs to be renewed every year, her usual March start date is in limbo. US Senator Adam Schiff, a Democratic from California, wrote a letter on Feb. 7 asking for an exemption for firefighters and 'to stop encouraging firefighters to resign,' noting that they had been deployed to stop the Los Angeles fires. Firefighters on the job described thinning ranks even before the hiring freeze. 'Right now is the time of the year that the agencies are finalizing hiring and bringing people on,' said Alex Pawelczyk, a dispatcher for the US Forest Service and a representative for the NFFE. 'The few of us that are left are so stretched thin, people could be at risk.' 'Staffing levels are the No. 1 risk to firefighter safety,' he added. 'You burn people out, they don't operate safely.' Warner Vanderheuel, another union representative and a battalion chief with more than two decades of experience, said worker exhaustion has already prompted what he described as mass resignations. 'We have employees who are supposed to start in March,' he said. 'I don't know if they have a job.' For the majority of firefighters, who serve local communities, specialized training for wildland and urban-interface fires isn't provided. The International Association of Fire Fighters offers a class that costs $50,000 a course. Currently, funding for the training comes from grants and appropriations at the federal, state and local level. The hiring freeze isn't the only new setback for federal firefighters. Retention pay originally made available by former President Joe Biden's administration to boost firefighter salaries is set to lapse in March. The loss of that money would cut compensation by as much as $20,000 per person. For Keith Kelly, a Forest Service employee and member of the NFFE union, the loss of that cash would be 'catastrophic.' He and his wife are both federal firefighters who met on the job and have two children under the age of three. He's now trying to figure out how they will manage childcare costs if they lose it. 'That's where all of our cash goes,' he said. --With assistance from Max Rivera. Elon Musk's DOGE Is a Force Americans Can't Afford to Ignore The Game Changer: How Ely Callaway Remade Golf How Oura's Smart Ring Bridged the Gap From Tech Bros to Normies How Silicon Valley Swung From Obama to Trump Japan Perfected 7-Eleven. Why Can't the US Get It Right? ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
