Sending checks for $400 or $600 to counteract the rising cost of living will not make it possible to fight poverty in the long term, but will only create a kind of association with “inadequate and unjust” measures, according to the Collective for a Quebec Without Poverty.

• Also read: Legault Calls for Vote: “We’ll Send You a Check for $400-$600”

• Also read: Deceptive text messages promising you CAQ checks

During the recent election campaign, the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) pledged to pay before Christmas $600 for Quebecers earning less than $50,000 and $400 for those earning between $50,000 and $100,000.

If the collective realizes that it can be a “boost” for people living in poverty, that will not be enough.

“[Ce] Boost in most cases is used for unpaid bills, groceries, buying clothes for the coming winter. When you’re short of everything year-round, a $600 check is quickly spent. And what happens afterwards?” Underlined the spokesman for the collective, Serge Petitclerc, in a press release on Wednesday.

“As this is a one-off aid, it will temporarily slow people’s impoverishment without improving their living conditions,” he argued.

The idea of ​​giving Quebecers with a wealthy income a check for $400 was also questioned by the collective, who believe that that extra sum could have been sent to people struggling to make ends meet.

In view of the promised tax cuts, this would also be an unfair measure for the organization.

“These tax cuts don’t benefit the poorest because they just don’t pay. Then they will deprive the government of revenue that could be used to bolster them financially or to fund social programs and public services… that desperately need them,” Mr Petitclerc said.

Among the few solutions that the collective proposes to help those living in poverty are increasing the solidarity deduction, raising the minimum wage or increasing the level of social assistance benefits.

Pete Musico (left) and Joseph Morrison, both on screen, await the court’s verdict this Wednesday in Jackson, Michigan.J. Scott Park | [email protected] (AP)

The Covid restrictions imposed in 2020 by Michigan Gov. Democrat Gretchen Whitmer prompted a group of Ultras to kidnap her as they viewed her as “tyrannical”. Although the kidnapping could have been avoided, it was one of the clearest manifestations of political violence, the direct attack on the heart of democracy that culminated in the January 6 storming of the Capitol by a horde of Trump supporters three months later. In one of the episodes in the flagship case of domestic terrorism sponsored by armed militias, a Michigan jury on Wednesday found three men guilty of collaborating in the conspiracy. The convicts are among the long dozen arrested in October 2020 and charged with state or federal crimes, conspiracy and attempted kidnapping.

The conspiracy to kidnap Whitmer, which was broken up by the FBI a month before the 2020 presidential election, prosecutors say was caused by the hostility that elements of the Republican orbit were experiencing due to the restrictions on movement imposed during the pandemic, then in its first wave . After a two-week hearing in the Jackson County Circuit Court, the jury ruled that Joseph Morrison, 28; his father-in-law, Pete Musico, 44, and Paul Bellar, 23, are guilty of gang membership, violating gun laws and providing material support to a terrorist attack. All three could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors believe Morrison, Musico and Bellar belonged to a militia called the Wolverine Watchers. The group planned to break into the governor’s vacation home, kidnap her and take her at gunpoint to a popular “trial” where she would be charged with “treason.” The three convicts, like the other detainees, expected that the action would provoke a violent uprising that would lead to civil war, according to the indictment. They also planned to storm the State Capitol, a sinister echo of what would happen at Congressional Headquarters in Washington in January.

Morrison and Musico had been accused of organizing tactical training sessions on their farm in a remote part of Michigan. Bellar was tasked with providing tactical maneuver plans, coded speech for covert communications, and ammunition.

Wednesday’s verdict was a victory for prosecutors, who argued that the three convicts had aided two others convicted of conspiracy in federal court in August. The latter’s conviction came after an inconclusive first trial due to jury disagreement. This is the most important case on domestic terrorism and the actions of armed militias in a process that has made progress but also set backs. In early April, two of the accused were acquitted, a fact that prompted complaints from Whitmer’s team about “the normalization of political violence.” Two other defendants who have cooperated with the judiciary have had their sentences reduced.

According to the Detroit News newspaper, the three men’s defense argued that they were unaware of the kidnapping plan and that their actions were protected by the First and Second Amendments to the US Constitution, which enshrine, respectively, freedom of expression in assembly and the individual right to bear arms wear. According to the FBI, the threat of so-called domestic terrorism already far outweighs the risk of jihadist-inspired attacks on US soil, as demonstrated by the attack on Capitol Hill.

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About 37 million bottles of the disinfectant Pine-So They were recalled because they could contain harmful bacteria.

Clorox recalled eight versions of Pine-Sol: Pine-Sol Scented Multi-Surface Cleansers (Lavender Cleanser, Sparkling Ripple, and Fresh Lemon Scents), CloroxPro Pine-Sol Multi-Purpose Cleansers (Lavender Cleanser, Sparkling Ripple, Fresh Lemon, and Orange), and Clorox Professional Pine-Sol Fresh Lemon Cleaner.

The company found that the products could contain something called a bacterium Pseudomanos aeruginosaaffecting people with compromised immune systems or people with external medical devices, and could be at risk of serious infection requiring medical attention, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

These bottles have date codes beginning with the prefix A4 followed by a five digit number. The company has stated that if a bottle is withdrawn from the market, the person discards it and contacts the company for a refund.

These products would have been manufactured between January 2021 and September 2022 and were manufactured in Forest Park, Georgia. They were sold through Amazon, Walmart, Dollar Tree, Target, Sam’s Club and Kroger, among others.

The Staten Island beauty pageant in Sri Lanka gets into a vicious brawl as women in ball gowns try to stop the match between men in suits: the winner says the clash has “nothing” to do with the event or the contestants

• Video taken on Friday showed a ferocious brawl at a Staten Island inaugural beauty pageant to crown the first-ever Miss Sri Lanka New York
• The riots included several men punching and kicking each other while women tried and failed to stop it
• Event organizers and the pageant winner said the brawl had “nothing” to do with attendees or organizers
• Winner Angelia Gunasekara said the fight broke out between two people in the audience after the event

By Joseph Michalitsianos

Published: 6:01 PM BST, 26 October 2022 | Updated: 7:15 PM BST, 26 October 2022

A shocking viral video shows the moment a massive brawl broke out at an after-party for the first-ever Miss Sri Lanka beauty pageant in New York City.

Women in ball gowns try to stop the violent struggle. However, the kicking and punching men in suits continue to pile up.

The melee, which involved no participants, took place Friday at The Vanderbilt in the South Beach neighborhood of Staten Island, known for its large population of Sri Lankan immigrants.

The pageant was organized to raise funds for a cancer hospital in Sri Lanka as the country struggles with medicine shortages.

Sri Lanka’s president fled his country earlier this year after months of protests over the deepening economic crisis.

A viral video shows the moments a Miss Sri Lanka New York beauty pageant descended into chaos when two contestants started a brawl

Although it’s unclear if there were any injuries, at least seven different men were involved in the riot as women tried and failed to stop it

Earlier in the night, Queens native Angelia Gunasekara was crowned the inaugural Miss Sri Lanka New York

Video shows the incident, which begins with screams between two groups of men, but turns into a violent riot as punches begin to fly while glass shatters in the background.

The women at the scene first tried to stop it, but the struggle quickly increased in intensity, forcing them to pull back and watch it unfold.

It was an unfortunate end to a glamorous night in which Queens native Angelia Gunasekara was crowned the inaugural Miss Sri Lanka New York.

Sri Lankan newspaper Colombo Gazette reported that fighting broke out between US-based Sri Lankans and Americans.

Gunasekara took to Facebook to “address certain rumors” surrounding the brawl and pleaded for publications to get the facts before reporting.

The fight “had absolutely nothing to do with the candidates, the candidates’ families, the committee, so it’s very upsetting to see articles about us,” she said.

Gunasekara added the “argument between two people in the audience outside after the event.”

It’s unclear if arrests were made after the fight, but the NYPD confirmed there were no arrests for assault in the area that night.

The NYPD also had no information on injuries.

Miss Sri Lanka New York 2022 Crown Winner Angelia Gunasekara’s Official Statement………. 👑 🇱🇰🇺🇸⭐️ Dilky Pinnagoda Cindy Salon Morina Dass Elegant Brides By Niroshi Sujani Fernando Pinto De Best Petals On Page Florist Cindy Sewwandika Ovi Rathnayake Primaal Niroshi Galagedera Madhava Wijesinghe Sachini Ayendra Uschi Perera

Posted by Miss Srilanka New York on Tuesday October 25, 2022

Gunasekara took to Facebook to respond to messages about the brawl, saying it had “absolutely nothing” to do with the attendees or the event

14 different contestants competed for the beauty crown on Friday, but Gunasekara, an office manager and student, ended up taking home first prize

The beauty queen lamented: “We didn’t have a single moment to feel or embrace the success.”

Gunasekara is “currently enrolled at the New York Institute of Technology with a major in Computer Software Engineering” and works as an office manager at a healthcare facility, according to the event’s Instagram page.

The organizing committee for the pageant also said the fight did not involve any contestants and said the incident had nothing to do with the pageant.

“To be clear, contrary to social media misinterpretations, none of the contestants were involved in any fighting at any point. Neither girl competed with each other for the crown,” the committee said.

“They respected the verdict, cheered for the winner and enjoyed the rest of the evening,” the organizing committee said,” they added.

The event was attended by over 300 guests and was rated as a “great success thanks to our event crew, our wonderful participants and all our sponsors and supporters”!

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Gunmen attacked a major Shiite holy site in Iran on Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens. The attack came as protesters elsewhere in Iran marked a symbolic 40 days since the death of a woman in custody ignited the largest anti-government movement in over a decade.

State television blamed the attack on “takfiris,” a term referring to Sunni Muslim extremists who have historically targeted the country’s Shia majority. The attack seemed unrelated to the demonstrations.

After the attack on the Shah Cheragh Mosque, the second holiest site in Iran, two gunmen were arrested and a third escaped, the judiciary’s official website said. State news agency IRNA reported the death toll and state television said 40 people were injured.

An Iranian news website affiliated with the Supreme National Security Council reported that the attackers were foreign nationals, without elaborating.

Such attacks are rare in Iran, but last April an attacker stabbed two clerics to death at Imam Reza Shrine, the country’s most revered Shia site, in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

Earlier Wednesday, thousands of protesters took to the streets of a northwestern city to mark the turning point 40 days since the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, whose tragedy sparked the protests.

In Shia Islam, as in many other traditions, the dead are commemorated again 40 days later, typically with an outburst of mourning. In Amini’s Kurdish hometown of Saqez, the birthplace of the nationwide unrest now sweeping Iran, crowds meandered through the local cemetery and crowded around her grave.

“Death to the dictator!” Protesters wept, according to video footage that matches well-known features of the city and Aichi Cemetery. Women tore off their headscarves or hijabs and waved them over their heads. Other videos showed a huge procession moving along a highway and through a dusty field to Amini’s grave. There were reports of road closures in the area.

State media reported 10,000 demonstrators in the procession to her grave.

Hengaw, a Kurdish human rights group, said security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters. The semi-official ISNA news agency said security forces fired buckshot at crowds of protesters on the outskirts of Saqez and pushed back protesters trying to attack the governor’s office. Local internet access was said to have been blocked for “security reasons”.

Earlier in the day, Kurdistan Governor Esmail Zarei Koosha insisted traffic was flowing as usual, calling the situation “completely stable”.

State media announced that schools and universities in Iran’s north-western region would be closed, ostensibly to “curb the spread of influenza”.

In downtown Tehran, the capital, large parts of the traditional grand bazaar closed in solidarity with the protests. The crowd clapped and shouted “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” through the labyrinthine marketplace.

“This year is a year of blood!” they also sang. “(Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) will be overthrown!”

Riot police officers were deployed on motorcycles. A large group of men and women marched through the streets setting trash cans on fire and shouting Death to the Dictator!” as cars honked their horns in support. Police unleashed riot control bullets at protesters in the streets and sprayed pellets upwards at journalists filming from windows and rooftops. Anti-government chants also echoed from the campus of Tehran University.

Amini, jailed for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code for women, remains a powerful symbol of the protests, which pose one of the biggest challenges facing the Islamic Republic.

Under the motto #WomanLifeFreedom, the demonstrations initially focused on women’s rights and the state-mandated hijab, the headscarf for women. But they quickly evolved into calls to oust the Shia clerics who have ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The protests have also stirred up university students, labor unions, prisoners and ethnic minorities like the Kurds along Iran’s border with Iraq.

Since the protests erupted, security forces have fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse demonstrations, killing more than 200 people, according to human rights groups.

Countless numbers have been arrested, with estimates running into the thousands. Iranian judicial officials announced this week that they would try over 600 people for their role in the protests, including 315 in Tehran, 201 in neighboring Alborz province and 105 in southwestern Khuzestan province.

Tehran’s prosecutor Ali Salehi told state news agency IRNA that four protesters face charges of “war against God,” which carries the death penalty in Iran.

Iranian officials have blamed foreign interference for the protests without providing any evidence.

Last week, Iran imposed sanctions on over a dozen European officials, companies and institutions, including foreign-based Farsi channels, who have reported extensively on the protests, accusing them of “supporting terrorism”. The sanctions include an entry and visa ban for the employees and the confiscation of their assets in Iran.

Deutsche Welle, the German public broadcaster whose Farsi team was blacklisted, on Wednesday condemned the move as “unacceptable”.

“I expect politicians in Germany and Europe to increase the pressure on the regime,” said DW Director General Peter Limbourg.

In a separate development, most of the remaining portion of a 10-story tower that collapsed earlier this year in the southwestern city of Abadan, killing at least 41 people, collapsed on Wednesday, state media reported. State news agency IRNA reported that a woman was killed in a car parked near the site. Other parts of the building had collapsed in the past month.

The fatal collapse of the Metropol building on May 23 became the lightning rod for the protests in Abadan, around 400 miles southwest of the capital Tehran. The disaster highlighted shoddy construction practices, government corruption and negligence in Iran.

Videos circulated online of the remaining tower crashing into the street as massive clouds of dust billowed into the sky.