Paula Abdul accuses American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault in lawsuit

WARNING: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault. Paula Abdul has accused former American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the reality competition show, according to a new lawsuit. The lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles also accuses Lythgoe of sexually assaulting Abdul after she left American … Read more

For 100 years, this Mickey Mouse operation has thrived. Is Disney now losing its magic?

The Sunday Magazine22:54For 100 years, this Mickey Mouse operation has thrived. Is Disney now losing its magic? You might describe Marlene Morris as a Disney lifer. As a child, she grew up watching Disney movies on weekends and listening to her father read Disney’s Bedtime storybooks at night. She first visited Disney World in Orlando, Fla., … Read more

Ukraine digs in as the West stumbles to keep up with Russian war production

“War,” said British philosopher, mathematician and pacifist Bertrand Russell, “does not determine who is right — only who is left.” Those words might be the perfect lens through which to view what probably lies ahead for Ukraine in the coming year as its troops dig in — and dig deep — along a front roughly 960 kilometres wide. … Read more

Trudeau says he’s sensed a ‘tonal shift’ from India since U.S. reported alleged murder plot

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he believes India’s relations with Canada may have undergone “a tonal shift” in the days since the unsealing of a U.S. indictment alleging a conspiracy to murder a Sikh activist on American soil. The prime minister made the remarks in an end-of-year interview with the CBC’s Rosemary Barton. Indian Prime Minister Narendra … Read more

Surge in newcomers putting pressure on inflation via housing demand: BoC official

The recent surge in newcomers is adding to inflation through housing demand, a senior Bank of Canada official said Thursday, warning rental and home prices could continue to rise without a boost to housing supply. In a speech in Windsor, Ont., deputy governor Toni Gravelle acknowledged many of the benefits coming from this rise in immigration, … Read more

Deal to lower Visa, Mastercard processing fees will come up short for many retailers, critics say

The federal government says it has hammered out the final details with Visa and Mastercard to lower credit card transaction fees for merchants, but small business advocates say the deal doesn’t go nearly far enough. The deal concerns what is called an interchange fee, also known as a “swipe fee,” which sets aside a percentage … Read more

The year of projectiles: 11 times fans hurled items at musicians in 2023

“I f–cking dare you,” Adele warned a crowd during a July show, to discourage them from throwing objects at her onstage. The Grammy winner appeared to be joking, strolling across the stage in Las Vegas with a T-shirt cannon and firing merchandise into the audience. However, she was addressing the epidemic of fans throwing objects at singers, which reached a … Read more