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Final report to be released today into 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:43 GMT

TRURO, N.S. — The public inquiry that investigated the April 2020 mass murder of 22 people in Nova Scotia is releasing its final report today.The federal-provincial inquiry examined the events surrounding the 13-hour rampage that began in the community of Portapique and ended when the RCMP gunned down the 51-year-old killer at a gas station about 55 kilometres south.Its report will be released today in Truro, N.S., and will include recommendations to improve community safety across Canada.The inquiry’s mandate included examinations of the police response, the killer’s access to firearms, gender-based violence, the assistance offered to those most affected and the steps taken to inform the public as the murders unfolded.On April 18, 2020, the killer assaulted his spouse, loaded his illegal firearms into a replica RCMP vehicle and shot 13 people.He managed to escape police capture and on April 19 murdered nine more people, including RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson — whose car ...

‘It’s going to take the community’: Yukon faces Canada’s worst toxic drug death rate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:43 GMT

When the doors close at night at the administration office at Yukon’s Carcross Tagish First Nation, a van hits the road and drives through the communities to offer naloxone to reverse overdoses, drug testing kits, food and even a friendly face to help those struggling because of the opioid crisis.The nation’s director of health and wellness, Stacey Robinson-Brown, said the new outreach van — a common tool in larger Canadian urban centres — is run three days a week to get more “boots on the ground” after-hours and connect with people who might need support in the communities with a population of just over 700 people.“Not all crises happen before 5 p.m.” she said.Robinson-Brown said they want to meet people where they are and perhaps help pull them back from deep waters to start a healthier life. “Even if we could change the lives of some people in terms of maybe some of their use, I think that would make a world of difference.”While Yukon fac...

As Canadians miss out on benefits, Ottawa promises automatic tax filing is on the way

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:43 GMT

OTTAWA — The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don’t file their taxes get their benefits.This week’s federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations. The move toward automatic tax filing, first promised in the 2020 speech from the throne, is one of several budget measures the Liberals say are meant to help Canadians with the cost of living.Experts and advocates have called for automatic filing, noting many vulnerable Canadians miss out on benefits to which they are entitled.Canadians are generally not required to file tax returns every year unless they owe money, but the federal government is increasingly relying on the Canada Revenue Agency to deliver income-tested benefits to individuals.That includes Canada Child Benefit, as well as the recent top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit an...

Winnipeg judge to give decision for retired priest charged with indecent assault

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:43 GMT

WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg judge is expected to give her decision on whether a now-retired priest is guilty of indecent assault after a residential school survivor accused him of forcing himself on her more than 50 years ago. Victoria McIntosh says she was assaulted by Arthur Masse in a bathroom of the Fort Alexander Residential School north of Winnipeg sometime between 1968 and 1970.McIntosh and Masse were the only witnesses who testified in the two-day judge-alone trial earlier this month. The First Nations woman told court the alleged assault lasted about a minute and Masse told her afterward not to tell anyone. Masse, who is 93, testified that he did not assault McIntosh and said he had no recollection of interacting with her when she was a student. McIntosh first reported it to police in 2015 and has said it took her several years to feel she could speak about what happened.  The Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program has a hotline to help residential school su...

Regulator defends finding that Alberta’s largest earthquake was caused by oilpatch

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:43 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta’s energy regulator has defended its finding that the province’s largest recorded earthquake was caused by oilpatch activity, saying the pattern of temblors since last fall clearly points to a water disposal well even though there’s no suggestion rules were flouted. “The connection between the earthquake sequence and the disposal well injecting into the deeper Leduc Formation was clear,” says a timeline of the research conducted by the Alberta Geological Survey, a branch of the Alberta Energy Regulator. The release of the timeline comes three days after Obsidian Energy, a Calgary-based oil and gas producer, openly challenged the regulator’s attribution of a 5.6 magnitude quake last November to operations of the company’s deep disposal well near the town of Peace River.“Since we have not seen any data or other evidence for the (regulator’s) conclusions, we cannot — and do not — agree with these conclusions,” said...

Vatican: Pope has good night in hospital despite infection

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:43 GMT

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis spent a good first night in the hospital after being admitted for a respiratory infection, a Vatican official said Thursday.Further medical updates were expected later in the day. Francis was taken to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for tests on Wednesday afternoon after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days. The 86-year-old pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, does not have COVID-19 but will remain in the hospital for several days of treatment, the Vatican said. His audiences were canceled through Friday.Francis is scheduled to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, and it wasn’t clear how his medical condition would affect the Vatican’s Holy Week observances, which include Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday on April 9. His hospitalization was the first since Francis had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed and spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital in July 2021.He said soon after the sur...

Daily horoscope for March 30, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:43 GMT

Moon Alert: Caution: Avoid shopping or important decisions from 9:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. EDT today (6:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. PDT). After that, the Moon moves from Cancer into Leo.Happy Birthday for Thursday, March 30, 2023:You are genuine, confident and courageous. You work hard for your personal goals, which can make you look selfish, but you aren’t. This year is the time to create solid foundations in your life, which means simplicity is key. Work to build structures physically and within yourself.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★Today you might experience a sudden windfall. You might have an excellent moneymaking idea. You might suddenly buy something high-tech or very modern that pleases you. You might get an unexpected raise. Whatever happens will be an advantage or a material benefit. Tonight: Good news.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★★This is a lovely day. Venus is in your sign lined up with unpredictable Uranus, which means today is full of unexpected events, excitement and new ex...

Kyiv urges Russians not to adopt Ukraine's 'stolen' children

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:43 GMT

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minster Iryna Vereshchuk urged Russians on Tuesday (28 March) not to adopt children she claimed were "stolen in Ukraine" during the war. She said they had been deported to Russia.Millions of people have been forced to flee Russia's war on its neighbor for the past 13 months. This includes families as well as children. It is difficult to determine the true number of children deported to Russia.In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC), issued a arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova–Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. They were accused of war crime, illegally deporting hundreds from Ukraine.Vereshchuk stated on Telegram that orphans were "stolen" in Ukraine and given up for adoption by Russia.Vereshchuk, the social affairs coordinator, said: "I strongly recommend Russian citizens not to adopt Ukrainian orphans illegally taken from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.""Once more, I remind all Russia...

President Tokayev proposes key changes to economic policy to boost growth and diversify industries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:43 GMT

Kazakhstan is set to change the focus of its economic policy, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his address to the first session of the Kazakh Parliament on March 29, reported the Akorda press service, writes Assel Satubaldina in Election 2023, Nation.Tokayev outlined the key steps to tackle the challenges facing the nation following the 19 March election to the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Parliament, and maslikhats, local representative bodies. The creation of an open and self-sufficient market economy remains a top priority.Encouraging business activity“Small and medium-sized enterprises should become the driving force of the economy and the labor market. Much has been said about this, but there are still no significant shifts in this direction. Therefore, we need to change the focus in our economic policy,” said Tokayev in his one-hour-long televised address, widely anticipated by Kazakh citizens.There are nearly 1.9 million small and medium-sized businesses operatin...

Miss Manners: I think it’s disrespectful for my husband to insist on this name

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:43 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: While our children were growing up, I always permitted their friends to address me by my given name, while my husband always requested to be addressed by Mr. and our difficult-to-pronounce surname, or as Mr. L.Our children are now in their late 20s. My husband still expects the man living with our daughter to address him in this fashion. In contrast, my husband has called my parents by their given names from the day they met.Our daughter’s partner is an adult — well-employed, a homeowner — and may one day be our son-in-law. I feel that my husband’s request is disrespectful to both our daughter and her partner. What do you feel is the appropriate form of address, both in person and on tags when exchanging gifts?GENTLE READER: It has always been Miss Manners’ belief that respect demands addressing people as they wish to be addressed. Even if the current generation believes they were the first to enunciate this principle.Respect, however...