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US court rejects Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba’s effort to quash faked Squishmallows case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:58:58 GMT

A judge in New York has ruled that Alibaba must face a lawsuit by a U.S. toymaker alleging that the Chinese ecommerce giant’s online platforms were used to sell counterfeit Squishmallows. Judge Jesse Furman of the Southern District Court of New York refused Alibaba’s request to dismiss the case filed by Kelly Toys Holdings, which makes the popular plush toys. Kelly Toys is owned by Jazwares, a toy company whose parent company Alleghany Corp. is controlled by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. There was no immediate comment by Alibaba, China’s biggest ecommerce company. Among other things, Alibaba based its motion to dismiss on how it was named in the lawsuit as Alibaba.com instead of its formal corporate name. In its complaint, Kelly Toys said sales of faked Squishmallows by merchants using Alibaba sites continued despite earlier lawsuits demanding they be stopped. The company had earlier filed the case to stop about 90 ecommerce companies from selling counterfeit vers...

In the news today: Palestinians seek refuge as Israeli operation in Gaza expands

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:58:58 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…Palestinians flee to overcrowded refuges as Israel expands offensive in GazaA Palestinian town with a typical population around 75,000 has been overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of people seeking refuge as Israel expands its ground offensive across Gaza.Some of the new arrivals Wednesday at Deir al-Balah traveled by foot or rode donkey carts loaded with belongings. While many crowded onto streets around the town’s main hospital, others set up tents on sidewalks.Palestinian health officials said dozens were killed in Israel’s heavy strikes across the center and south of the territory.The U.N. humanitarian office says the scale and intensity of ground operations and fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in most areas of Gaza and their devastating impact is impeding aid deliveries.N.B. premier won’t back down on gender p...

Live updates | UN warns of impeded aid deliveries as Israel expands offensive in Gaza

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:58:58 GMT

Fleeing Palestinians have packed into areas along Gaza’s border with Egypt and the southern Mediterranean coastline, where shelters and tent camps are overflowing. The U.N. humanitarian office says the scale and intensity of ground operations and fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups and their devastating impact is impeding aid deliveries.The Israeli military’s air and ground offensive against Hamas has widened to most of the territory. Israel says it is striking militant targets, though homes full of people are regularly crushed.Israel’s leaders say the war could go on for months.More than 20,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants among the dead. About 1,200 people were killed after Hamas raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, with around 240 people taken hostage. Israel says it ...

Five things to watch for in Canadian business in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:58:58 GMT

OTTAWA — Business headlines in 2023 saw a housing crisis and the fight against inflation take centre stage while the job market proved to be stronger than expected. Housing and the cost of living will likely remain at the forefront in 2024, as will central banks. Economists expect a shift in gears to interest rate cuts as the economy softens further. Here are five things to watch in Canadian business in 2024 as households and companies work through what is expected to be a challenging economic environment:Inflation and interest ratesThe inflation rate is well off its 2022 highs, but it still hasn’t returned to the Bank of Canada’s target of two per cent. The central bank’s key interest rate has been unchanged at five per cent since July. Inflation fluctuated somewhat in the latter half of the year, but came in at an annualized rate of 3.1 per cent in November for the second month in a row.Economists expect inflation to continue slowing, but the Bank of Canada has c...

‘Sarafina!’ celebrated South African playwright Mbongeni Ngema dies in car crash at 68

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:58:58 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Renowned South African playwright, producer and composer Mbongeni Ngema has died in a car crash at the age of 68, his family said.“Ngema was killed in a head-on car accident while returning from a funeral he was attending in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape this evening,” his family said in a statement Wednesday. The celebrated playwright was a passenger in the vehicle involved in the crash. He was best known for creating the hit Sarafina! which first premiered on Broadway in 1988. It was adapted into a musical drama starring Whoopi Goldberg in 1992 which became an international success and was nominated for the Tony and Grammy Awards. Sarafina! told the story of a young student and how she inspired her peers to fight against racial segregation in apartheid South Africa after her teacher was thrown in jail. Apartheid was an institutionalized system that discriminated against non-whites and ensured South Africa was ruled by the minority white population from 1948 ti...

Stock market today: World shares are mixed following slight gains on Wall Street

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:58:58 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — European shares opened lower Thursday after strong advances in Asia led by rallies in Chinese markets.U.S. futures were mixed and oil prices fell. Germany’s DAX lost 0.1% to 16,729.35 and the CAC 40 in Paris also edged 0.1% lower, to 7,563.03. Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 2 points at 7,722.88.The future for the S&P 500 was virtually unchanged and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.1%. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index was an outlier in Asia, shedding 0.4% to 33,539.62. Speculation over whether and when the Bank of Japan might ease its longstanding lax monetary policy and raise its key interest rate from minus 0.1% has kept stocks wobbling in the world’s third-largest economy.BOJ policymakers are waiting to see what sort of wage gains might come in 2024 as part of the central bank’s strategy of keeping credit easy to try to spur stronger growth. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index surged 2.5% to 17,043.53 on heavy buying of technolog...

Daily horoscope for December 28, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:58:58 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or important decisions from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST today (2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST). After that, the Moon moves from Cancer into Leo.Happy Birthday for Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023:You’re confident and passionate about whatever you do. You impress others with your energy and commitment to your goals. This year has been a strong focus on partnerships. In 2024, life will be enjoyable, lighthearted and playful! Let your guard down and loosen up! See old friends.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★This is a tricky day! Don’t throw your weight around, especially in matters related to politics and religion, because your efforts might be misguided. You might regret something. Meanwhile, despite heated discussions at home, practical and financial benefits are likely. Tonight: Socialize.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★Avoid arguments with relatives, neighbors and siblings today, which might be tempting. Instead, enjoy time spent with partners and close friends. Avo...

Miss Manners: She’s playing the victim after her rudeness set me off

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:58:58 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My friend and I have known each other for many years. This woman is always late, even though she has no children living at home and her husband is away frequently.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: A teen went missing at the mall and it ruined our evening Advice | Miss Manners: Why would they put a sign like this in their home’s bathroom? Advice | Miss Manners: I find it rude that the TV stays on when I enter. Am I overreacting? Advice | Miss Manners: Maybe these new neighbors think their mock pity is cute. I find it annoying. Advice | Miss Manners: What should I have done when the groom insulted my wedding cake? We get together for lunch a few times a month, and I can’t remember her being on time more than once or twice. There is always an excuse. I’ve tried making jokes about it, and she doesn’t change.The excuses never involve an emergency — just th...

Dear Abby: Pet owners tell these appalling stories as if they were jokes, and it upsets me

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:58:58 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I own a parrot we take with us pretty much everywhere. He draws a lot of attention and questions from strangers, which I’m usually happy to answer.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: My boyfriend says I’m being too harsh about his ‘mistake’ Advice | Dear Abby: My friend says my party idea is tacky. Is she right? Advice | Dear Abby: How can I light a fire under the poky tradespeople in my new town? Advice | Dear Abby: I think she meant to humiliate me at her child’s birthday party Advice | Dear Abby: My mother-in-law hit my kids, and I’m being pressured to reconcile You might be surprised at how many people own or have owned birds, and many of them love to share their stories about how their parrot or parakeet died. (It’s often from neglect or improper care or breeding.) These stories are often related in a jovial way, as if they should b...

NH police looking for suspect connected to incendiary device left outside Concord cafe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:58:58 GMT

Police in New Hampshire are looking to the public for assistance identifying a person of interest in an active investigation.Authorities released a picture of a suspect wanted for questioning related to the placement of an incendiary device outside of a Concord business in March. A device that generates smoke was left at the Teatotaller Cafe and Bakery on Main Street in the state’s capitol. Anyone who recognized the individual is encouraged to contact Concord Police at 603-225-8600.