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WorldSep 28, 2020

Louisville drops curfew; legislator questions rioting law

A curfew is being lifted in Louisville, Kentucky, where many people have been arrested for refusing to stop their nighttime protests after a grand jury's decision not to charge officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said in a statement that he decided to allow the curfew to expire as of 6:30 a.m. Monday. Meanwhile, a state lawmaker says she will propose changing Kentucky's legal definition of rioting after Democratic state Rep. Attica Scott was charged with a felony rioting count while participating in Louisville protests for racial justice. Taylor was
global-death-toll-from-the-covid-19-pandemic-reaches-a-grim-milestone
WorldSep 28, 2020

Global death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic reaches a grim milestone

The global death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to reach one-million sometime today, based on the official tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. But experts believe the true number is much higher, considering the difficulties in testing and identifying virus-related deaths early in the health crisis. The grim milestone also comes at a time when many countries are either approaching or are in the midst of a second wave of COVID-19. The US already has surpassed 200,000 virus-related deaths, with the CDC warning tens of thousands more Americans could die as the weather gets colder
schools-wont-be-used-as-polling-places-during-the-upcoming-election-on-weekdays-chief-electoral-officer
BCSep 28, 2020

Schools won't be used as polling places during the upcoming election on weekdays: Chief electoral officer

BC's chief electoral officer says schools won't be used as polling places during the upcoming election, at least not on weekdays. Anton Boegman says two days of advance polling fall on the weekend, and school gyms and auditoriums will be used then, while election day is a Saturday, so school facilities will also be available. But he says advance polls slated for weekdays will be held in other facilities because he understands parents' and teachers' concerns about keeping COVID-19 exposures out of schools. Boegman says using schools for election activities on weekends means all necessary clean
u-s-judge-orders-canadian-woman-accused-of-threatening-trump-to-remain-in-custody
WorldSep 28, 2020

U.S. judge orders Canadian woman accused of threatening Trump to remain in custody

A Quebec woman accused of sending a ricin-laced threat to President Donald Trump has been ordered to remain in U.S. custody. District Court Judge Kenneth Schroeder Jr. says Pascale Ferrier was clearly capable of causing harm when she tried to cross the Canada-U. S. border last week. Ferrier, 53, was arrested while attempting to enter the United States at the Peace Bridge border crossing in Buffalo. Timothy Lynch of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Buffalo says Ferrier had a semi-automatic handgun and 294 rounds of ammunition at the time. Lynch also says experts in Canada found traces of ricin in
u-s-appeals-softwood-ruling-to-wto-appeals-body-the-u-s-has-rendered-inoperative
CanadaSep 28, 2020

U.S. appeals softwood ruling to WTO appeals body the U.S. has rendered inoperative

International Trade Minister Mary Ng says it is extremely disappointing that the United States has decided to appeal a World Trade Organization ruling against its softwood-lumber duties, particularly because the U.S. is making it impossible for that appeal to be heard. The WTO ruled in August that the U.S.'s import duties on Canadian softwood violate international trading rules because the U.S. cannot prove that Canada is unfairly subsidizing its softwood producers by undercharging for wood coming off government land. Ng says the U.S. decision to appeal is confusing since earlier this year th
no-safe-mask-option-for-bearded-members-rcmp-says-but-force-is-exploring-solutions
CanadaSep 28, 2020

No safe mask option for bearded members, RCMP says, but force is exploring solutions

The RCMP says there is no safe and proven face covering for officers with beards, but it is working to find one for Sikh members temporarily sidelined from front-line policing. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly expressed disappointment that Sikh RCMP officers find themselves on desk duty during the COVID-19 pandemic because their religiously mandated facial hair makes it difficult to properly wear a mask. In a statement today, the RCMP says while a respirator, such as an N95 mask, is not mandatory in all front-line situations, it is sometimes required to reduce risk. The national poli
b-c-liberal-leader-promises-to-eliminate-pst-for-a-year-if-elected
BCSep 28, 2020

B.C. Liberal Leader promises to eliminate PST for a year if elected

B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson promised today that if elected, BC liberal government will immediately eliminate the provincial sales tax (PST) for a year. In second year, the PST will be slashed down to three per cent from the current seven percent rate, until the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, said Wilkinson. Wilkinson hopes the step will save people money, bring investment back to BC and stimulate growth for struggling small businesses. "Countless people are still out of work, small businesses are facing bankruptcy, and the public health threat from COVID-19 is still very
covid-19-aid-bill-tory-leader-otooles-speech-headline-parliaments-first-full-week
CanadaSep 28, 2020

COVID-19 aid bill, Tory leader O'Toole's speech headline Parliament's first full week

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole and Bloc Quebecois chief Yves-Francois Blanchet are expected to take their seats in the House of Commons this week after being benched due to COVID-19.The two opposition leaders were absent from the Commons last week as both were in isolation after contracting COVID-19.Their formal replies to the Liberals' speech from the throne will come as Parliament is set to debate new COVID-19 relief measures over the coming days and potentially pass them into law.The government plans to set up a new pandemic-benefits regime under the umbrella of the existing employment i
IndiaSep 26, 2020

SAD decides to pull out of NDA over agriculture bills

Days after quitting the union cabinet, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has now decided to pull out of the BJP-led NDA alliance over "Centre's stubborn refusal to give statutory legislative guarantees to protect assured marketing of farmers crops on MSP".The decision was taken at the core committee meeting of SAD. The meeting unanimously decided to pull out of the BJP-led NDA alliance.Apart from Centre's stance on the agriculture bills, the party also talked of "its continued insensitivity to Punjabi and Sikh issues like not including Punjabi language in the list of official languages in Jammu and Ka

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smith-says-alberta-health-overhaul-groundwork-finished-results-to-be-tested-in-2026
AlbertaDec 30, 2025

Smith says Alberta health overhaul groundwork finished, results to be tested in 2026

Premier Danielle Smith says 2025 marked a turning point for Alberta’s sweeping health-care overhaul, with the legal framework for the province’s new system now firmly in place. She says the coming year will be focused on showing Albertans whether the changes deliver measurable improvements. Smith said her government believes the restructuring will lead to better patient outcomes after years of strain on the health system. Alberta is in the process of replacing Alberta Health Services as a single province-wide provider with four separate organizations responsible for acute care, primary car
b-c-report-warns-magnitude-9-0-earthquake-could-kill-thousands-cause-128b-in-damage
BCDec 30, 2025

B.C. report warns magnitude 9.0 earthquake could kill thousands, cause $128B in damage

A massive earthquake off the coast of Vancouver Island could result in thousands of deaths and widespread destruction across British Columbia, according to a new provincial risk assessment. The B.C. government report estimates that a magnitude 9.0 megathrust earthquake could cause more than 3,400 fatalities and leave over 10,000 people injured. Economic losses are projected at $128 billion, with roughly 18,000 buildings destroyed and extensive damage to another 10,000. The findings are part of the province’s disaster and climate risk assessment, which identifies a large offshore earthquake a
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WorldDec 30, 2025

Saudi Arabia carries out airstrikes on Yemen port amid dispute over separatist arms shipment

Saudi Arabia says it carried out airstrikes on Yemen’s eastern port city of Mukalla after what it described as the arrival of weapons intended for a separatist force, marking a sharp escalation in tensions within the Saudi-led coalition involved in Yemen’s long-running conflict. In a statement released Tuesday through the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi military said the strikes targeted weapons and combat vehicles unloaded at the port from ships that had arrived from Fujairah, a port city on the United Arab Emirates’ eastern coast. The kingdom said the operation was limited in s
WorldDec 30, 2025

Former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia dies at 80 after decades shaping national politics

Khaleda Zia, a former prime minister of Bangladesh whose long-running political rivalry with Sheikh Hasina dominated the country’s public life for more than three decades, has died at the age of 80. Her Bangladesh Nationalist Party confirmed her death in a statement released Tuesday. Zia served two terms as prime minister and was a central figure in Bangladesh’s transition from military rule to parliamentary democracy. Her political career was closely intertwined with that of Hasina, leader of the Awami League, with the two women alternating in power and shaping the nation’s often turbul
b-c-wildfire-season-burns-near-decade-average-far-below-2023-record
BCDec 30, 2025

B.C. wildfire season burns near decade average, far below 2023 record

British Columbia’s 2025 wildfire season burned nearly 8,900 square kilometres of land, a level close to the provincial 10-year average and significantly lower than the record-setting season seen two years earlier, according to the Ministry of Forests. In a year-end summary, the ministry said more than 1,350 wildfires scorched about 8,864 square kilometres across the province since April 1. That total is slightly above the 10-year average of roughly 8,500 square kilometres but below the 10,811 square kilometres burned in 2024. The impact was far less severe than in 2023, when a record 2,293 w