News

Copy by Craig Foster

Prince Edward County’s Chamber of Commerce held it’s annual general meeting yesterday to a packed audience at the Andrew. CEO Duarte Da Silva kicked off the meeting with an overview of accomplishments, challenges of 2024 and new endeavors for 2025 that include Chamber Cheers, a monthly get together at various locations for members and non members to connect with each other, in the planning for the fall or early 2026 is a PEC Connect trade fair focusing on what businesses are actually in the county and the Chamber is promoting buy Canadian, buy local in any way they
can.

The United States Senate has rejected an effort to block US President Donald Trump’s tariffs amid bipartisan concerns about the impact of his trade salvoes on the economy. The upper house of the US Congress voted 49-49 to knock back the resolution on Wednesday, hours after government data showed that the US economy shrank for the first time in three years. Three Republican senators – Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – voted for the measure in a rare rebuke of Trump from within his own party, along with all present Democrats and Independents.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned that rapidly spreading wildfires near Jerusalem could reach the city, as he declared the situation a “national emergency”. Thick smoke billowed above highways near Jerusalem on Wednesday as firefighters rushed to control wildfires that have injured several people and prompted the military to deploy troops to help. Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue agency reported that hundreds of civilians were at risk from the worst fires in years.MDA said it had provided treatment to around 23 people, 13 of whom were taken to hospital, the majority suffering from smoke inhalation and burns. Among them were two pregnant women and two infants under a year old, it added. It said the alert level had been raised to the highest tier.

Ukraine and the U.S. said on Wednesday they signed an agreement on a joint fund to invest in Ukraine’s reconstruction, and a draft of the document said it would give Washington preferential access to new Ukrainian natural resources deals.The two countries signed the accord in Washington after months of sometimes fraught negotiations, with uncertainty persisting until the last moment with word of an eleventh-hour snag. A draft of the minerals agreement seen by Reuters gave the U.S. preferential access to new Ukrainian natural resources deals but did not automatically hand Washington a share of Ukraine’s mineral wealth or any of its gas infrastructure. It provided for creation of a joint U.S.-Ukrainian fund for reconstruction which will receive 50 per cent of profits and royalties accruing to the Ukrainian state from new natural resources permits in Ukraine. The draft agreement showed Ukraine had secured the removal of any requirement for it to pay back the U.S. for past military assistance, something Ukraine had staunchly opposed.

A former world junior hockey player was in the witness box for the first time at the sexual assault trial of five teammates from the 2018 championship team, telling the London, Ont., court about players’ text exchanges and a call he received from a Hockey Canada executive about an investigation. Taylor Raddysh, now a forward with the Washington Capitals, testified remotely Wednesday from Arlington, Va., hours before their playoff game against the Montreal Canadiens. The trial is hearing the case against Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton, who’ve all had NHL careers. The five have pleaded not guilty to one count each of sexual assault. McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of being party to the offence.

Sports

Montreal fell 4-1 to the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of its first-round series Wednesday, losing the best-of-seven matchup in five games to end an unexpected return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

Kyle Connor had a goal and two assists to propel the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday that earned them a 3-2 lead in their opening-round playoff series.

Eetu Luostarinen had a goal and three assists to lead the Florida Panthers to a 6-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning and advance Florida to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Brian White and Pedro Vite scored two minutes apart and the Vancouver Whitecaps stunned Inter Miami 3-1 in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal on Wednesday night, spoiling Lionel Messi’s squad’s hopes of making the tournament’s final.

CF Montreal recorded its first win of the season in dramatic fashion Wednesday, coming from behind twice before knocking Toronto FC out of the Telus Canadian Championship via a penalty shootout