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Supporters focus on freeing Canadian held in China amid geopolitical ‘ups and downs’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:25 GMT

OTTAWA — A leader of the fight to secure freedom for a Canadian human-rights activist detained in China for 17 years is taking the latest diplomatic deep-freeze between Ottawa and Beijing in stride.Wilf Ruland, a volunteer fieldworker with Amnesty International Canada, says a sustained, long-term campaign aims to keep Huseyin Celil’s case in the public eye and in the minds of Canadian and Chinese authorities.“Throughout the history of this case, there’s been geopolitical ups and downs, but we figure our job is just to keep Canadian government officials’ attention focused on the case and keep them working on it,” Ruland said in an interview.Celil, originally from China, fled the country in 2001 after being jailed for supporting the religious and political rights of the Uyghur minority.Celil, his wife Kamila Telendibaeva and their son settled in Canada that year. They had two more boys and Celil became a Canadian in 2005. The following year, the family we...

Documents reveal what happened inside the discord at Canada’s drug-price regulator

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:25 GMT

OTTAWA — Internal emails from the agency tasked with regulating the price of patented drugs in Canada shows discord and division was sparked by a letter from the health minister, culminating in an indefinite pause on major drug-price reforms and several resignations.Emails released to the House of Commons committee on health suggest some on the regulator’s board believed the crisis that followed the minister’s letter threatened the very survival of the agency.“We are experiencing a significant conflict that must be resolved to ensure the survival, integrity and proposer conduct of business for the (Patented Medicine Prices Review Board),” former acting chair Melanie Bourassa Forcier wrote to the board members on Dec. 4, 2022.She resigned from her post the next day. The emails show the conflict began last November, when the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board was in the process of consulting on the finer points of recently adopted rules that would drasticall...

Wildfire battles continue under heat, air quality alerts over most of Canada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:25 GMT

The battle against hundreds of wildfires continues, as almost every jurisdiction in Canada remains under either heat or air quality warnings from the federal government.The day after what was supposed to be national Clean Air Day, dozens of alerts remain in place for unseasonable heat or smoky air quality that kept millions of Canadians coughing and squinting. And forecasts suggest that air quality risks for the GTA, the Niagara region and southwestern Ontario will only increase through the end of the week.Wednesday saw one of Canada’s worst days in history for air quality. Environment Canada’s air quality health index listed Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., as the worst in Canada, with a very high risk warning. The agency dropped special air quality statements for those areas early Thursday morning.Residents in those cities were encouraged to limit outdoor activities, and those most vulnerable to the smoke were told to avoid them altogether.School boards in Ottawa and the Tor...

Experts worry about Canadian water bomber expertise with rising demand, aging fleets

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:25 GMT

MONTREAL — Aviation experts say Canada is losing expertise in the manufacturing of water bombers — just as demand for them is increasing.The Canadair CL-415, a purpose-built water bomber, was last produced in 2015. That plane and its predecessor — the CL-215 — are the only water bombers used in Quebec and play major roles in the fleets of other provinces. On Monday, water bombers from Montana were deployed in Quebec to support the province’s firefighters and its fleet of 14 CL-415s and CL-215s. Quebec is experiencing its worst fire season on record, following a record fire season in Nova Scotia.Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair told a news conference earlier this week that the provinces have enough equipment to fight the fires that are raging in several parts of the country. If necessary, he said, Ottawa would try to acquire additional equipment from other countries. “But we have to know where (the equipment) is and how we can access it very quickly,” he s...

Daily horoscope for June 8, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:25 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today until 9:05 p.m. PDT. The Moon is in Aquarius.Happy Birthday for Thursday, June 8, 2023:You have a winning personality. You know how to regale others with tales of your exploits and other stories. You are forever curious and dramatic. This is a fun-loving, social, creative year for you! Have fun, but remember your goals. Old friends might rekindle relationships.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★Expect a curveball or something unusual to happen when dealing with a friend today (probably a female). Or you might be just as surprised by the antics or decisions of a group. Possibly, you will meet a real character today. Tonight: Be cooperative.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★Today you don’t want to be bossed around or dictated to by anyone. You want the freedom to be able to call your own shots. This is why you might feel rebellious when dealing with parents, bosses, teachers or the police if they start telling you w...

Zelenskyy says awaiting final agreements on 'powerful' F16 jets offer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:25 GMT

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday (6 June) he received "a serious, powerful" offer from leaders of countries ready to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets and is awaiting final agreements with key allies."Our partners know how many aircraft we need," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying in a statement on his website. "I have already received an understanding of the number from some of our European partners ... It is a serious, powerful offer."Kyiv now awaits a final agreement with its allies, including "a joint agreement with the United States," Zelenskyy said.It is still unclear which Kyiv's allies are ready to send the jets to Ukraine.US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders last month that Washington supported joint allied training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s. But US National Security adviser Jake Sullivan has said there was no final decision on Washington sending aircraft.Zelenskyy has long appealed for the F-16 jets, saying their appearance with Ukrain...

Miss Manners: They ram my shopping cart and then just stare at me

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:25 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Could you please help me with grocery store behavior, specifically when to stop, yield and go?Most grocery stores are set up in a grid, with the perimeter aisle being the largest and, in my opinion, the main thoroughfare that gets the right of way.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Whose fault is this distressing situation with my pants? Advice | Miss Manners: He’s my husband, not my brother, and why are you even asking? Advice | Miss Manners: Am I really being perverse not to have my DNA tested? Advice | Miss Manners: I made the mistake of sharing my manuscript with this colleague Advice | Miss Manners: How can I make a guest commit to her RSVP? When I come out of an inner aisle, I always yield and make sure the coast is clear before entering the outer aisle.I find most people don’t reciprocate, don’t pay attention, sometimes ram into my cart, and simply look at ...

Dear Abby: The bride is afraid her cringey grandma will be an embarrassment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:25 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My mother-in-law is an attention-seeker. She’s very loud and talks in a baby voice so that everyone looks at her.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: I’m too old to deal with this new nonsense from my husband Advice | Dear Abby: Am I being childish about this workplace snub? Advice | Dear Abby: Nobody else sees how scary my sister is, and I want to cry Advice | Dear Abby: They seem to be hinting my illness is imaginary Advice | Dear Abby: I was shocked to see this behavior at a funeral She made my wedding shower and, years later, my baby shower all about her and the gifts she gave. Not only did it take the spotlight from my husband and me, but it made other family members’ gifts or contributions seem inadequate. She always has to give the biggest and best (while letting everyone know) and distract from other people’s special moments.My daughter is being married in a year...

Authorities recover train from Austrian tunnel after fire forces evacuation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:25 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A train was being recovered on Thursday from an Austrian tunnel where it got stuck when a fire broke out, forcing rescuers to evacuate the 151 people on board.The regional government in Tyrol province said that 33 people were slightly injured in Wednesday evening’s incident and were taken to hospitals for evaluation. Smoke inhalation appeared to be the main concern.Officials had initially said that up to 370 people were believed to be on board the overnight train heading from Innsbruck to Amsterdam and Hamburg, a number that they based on seat reservations for the service, but they revised the figure down after the evacuation.The train was halted immediately after the fire started in the Terfens tunnel east of Innsbruck at around 8:45 p.m., and rescuers from surrounding districts rushed to the scene. A regional government statement said that the cause appeared to be a faulty overhead electric wire that fell on a trailer attached to the train that was transporting...

France’s interior minister says an attacker with a knife has injured children and others in a town in the Alps

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:25 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France’s interior minister says an attacker with a knife has injured children and others in a town in the Alps.Source