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WorldJul 04, 2022

Singapore President Halimah Yacob tests positive for COVID-19

Singaporean President Halimah Yacob on Monday said that she had tested positive for COVID-19 with mild flu-like symptoms. Yacob confirmed on her Facebook post that she was just tested positive for COVID-19 with mild flu-like symptoms, reported Xinhua. "Thankfully, I have been vaccinated and boosted. I hope to recover soon and am sorry to have to miss the events this week," she stated in a Facebook post. Also on Monday evening, Singapore's Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin also said that he was tested positive for COVID-19. "All good things must come to an end. My COVID-free days are over,"
WorldJun 30, 2022

Jackson sworn in, becomes 1st Black women on Supreme Court

Ketanji Brown Jackson has been sworn in to the Supreme Court, shattering a glass ceiling as the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court. The 51-year-old Jackson is the court’s 116th justice and she took the place Thursday of the justice she once worked for. Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement took effect at noon. Jackson took two oaths during the livestreamed event: a constitutional oath, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, and a judicial oath, administered by Justice Stephen Breyer. Biden nominated Jackson in February, fulfilling a campaign promise to nominate the firs
WorldJun 28, 2022

Instagram and Facebook remove posts offering abortion pills

Facebook and Instagram have begun promptly removing posts that offer abortion pills to women who may not be able to access them following a Supreme Court decision that stripped away constitutional protections for the procedure. Memes and status updates explained how women could legally get abortion pills in the mail. Some even offered to mail the prescriptions to women living in a state that has banned the procedure. Facebook and Instagram responded by removing some of the posts. The platforms' parent company, Meta, said it has a policy against gifting or selling pharmaceutical drugs.
WorldJun 28, 2022

US officials return to Venezuela amid gas price hike

Senior Biden administration officials have quietly traveled to Caracas in the latest bid to rebuild relations with the South American oil giant as the war in Ukraine drags on, driving higher gas prices and forcing the U.S. to recalibrate other foreign policy objectives. The delegation that arrived Monday in Caracas includes Ambassador James Story, who heads the U.S. government’s Venezuelan Affairs Unit out of neighboring Colombia, said a State Department spokesperson on the condition of anonymity so as not to interfere with diplomatic discussions. It also includes Roger Carstens, the special
amtrak-train-collides-with-dump-truck-derails-in-missouri
WorldJun 27, 2022

Amtrak train collides with dump truck, derails in Missouri

An air ambulance service official says at least eight helicopters are taking patients from the site of a passenger train that derailed in Missouri while traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago. Matt Daugherty, Lifeflight Eagle director of business development, said helicopters were responding from around the state, The Kansas City Star reported. Daugherty said he knew there were a number of injuries and some people were in critical condition. The train derailed Monday after hitting a dump truck that was blocking a public crossing, Amtrak said. The Southwest Chief was carrying about 243 passenge
officials-russian-missile-strike-hits-crowded-shopping-mall
WorldJun 27, 2022

Officials: Russian missile strike hits crowded shopping mall

Ukrainian officials say scores of civilians are feared killed or injured after a Russian missile strike hit a crowded shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post Monday that the number of victims was ``unimaginable,'' citing reports that more than 1,000 civilians were inside at the time of the attack. Zelenskyy stressed that the target presented ``no threat to the Russian army'' and had ``no strategic value.'' At least 13 people were dead and more than 40 wounded, according to the regional governor, Dmytro Lunin, who said th
pm-modi-trudeau-take-stock-of-india-canada-ties-at-g7
WorldJun 27, 2022

PM Modi, Trudeau take stock of India-Canada ties at G7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau and agreed to expand trade and economic linkages as the two leaders took stock of India-Canada relations. "Useful exchange between PM @narendramodi and Canadian PM @JustinTrudeau at Schloss Elmau. Leaders discussed bilateral ties and agreed to expand trade and economic linkages, cooperation in security and counter-terrorism, as well as P2P ties," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said both leaders took stock of the India-Canada friendship and discussed ways to further str
WorldJun 27, 2022

China to experience more rainfall-induced floods, damage: Forecast

Several parts of China will experience heavy rainfall and floods for the next few days, China's National Meteorological Center said on Monday after it renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms. The torrential rainfalls in China which started on Sunday have induced floods in several parts of the country including Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and Qingdao in East China's Shandong Province, Global Times reported. China's National Meteorological Center has forecasted more heavy rain in the next few days. It said that across 13 areas including Southwest China's Chongqing, Sichuan and Guizhou
WorldJun 27, 2022

Ukrainian officials: at least 2 dead as missile hits mall

Ukrainian officials say scores of civilians are feared killed or injured after a Russian rocket strike hit a crowded shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post Monday that the number of victims was “unimaginable,” citing reports that more than 1,000 civilians were inside at the time of the attack. Minutes later, Kyryl Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the presidential office, said in a Telegram post that at least two were dead and about 20 people were hurt, of whom nine were in serious condition. Zelenskyy stressed that the

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BCJul 15, 2026

Elderly woman distracted and robbed of gold necklace in Vancouver, police seek suspects

A 76-year-old woman was allegedly robbed of her gold necklace after being distracted by an unknown woman in Vancouver's East 11th Avenue and Victoria Drive area on Tuesday, according to the Vancouver Police Department. Police said the incident occurred at about 12:30 p.m. while the senior was waiting for family members. An unidentified woman approached her and claimed she looked like her mother, whose birthday she said it was. The suspect then hugged the victim and, during the interaction, allegedly removed the woman's gold necklace and replaced it with a fake one. The victim reportedly discov
AlbertaJul 15, 2026

Alberta launches online bike lane complaint form ahead of planned legislation

The Alberta government has launched an online public feedback form inviting residents to report concerns about bike lanes as it prepares legislation expected this fall. According to the Alberta government, Albertans can use the online form to share concerns about bike lanes in their communities, including whether they believe a lane is underused, has reduced on-street parking, contributed to traffic congestion, affected local businesses, or delayed emergency response times. The province says the feedback will help inform future transportation policy decisions. Transportation Minister Devin Dre
canada-pauses-new-parent-and-grandparent-sponsorship-applications-for-2026
CanadaJul 15, 2026

Canada pauses new parent and grandparent sponsorship applications for 2026

The federal government says it will not accept any new applications this year under Canada's Parents and Grandparents Program as it works to reduce processing times and manage a large backlog of existing files. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), approximately 60,500 sponsorship applications are currently being processed. The department said it expects to approve about 15,000 parents and grandparents each year over the next two years from applications already in the system. IRCC said the temporary pause is intended to improve processing efficiency. The department
federal-government-names-new-members-to-independent-senate-appointments-advisory-board
CanadaJul 15, 2026

Federal government names new members to independent Senate appointments advisory board

The federal government has announced new appointments to the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, one week after Prime Minister Mark Carney named four new senators to the upper chamber. According to a federal government news release, the advisory board will continue to provide non-binding recommendations to the prime minister on Senate appointments. The board was established in 2016 to support a merit-based and independent appointments process. The government said the board will continue to include three federal members, including a chair, along with two additional members from
BCJul 15, 2026

Surrey man sentenced to nearly five years in prison in extortion-related shooting and arson case

A Surrey Provincial Court judge has sentenced Abhijeet Kingra to nearly five years in prison for his role in a 2024 extortion-related shooting and arson targeting a Surrey home. According to court records, Kingra pleaded guilty on July 6 to charges of discharging a firearm at a residence and committing arson. The offences stem from an Aug. 10, 2024 incident in which a home belonging to a person who had reportedly received extortion threats was shot at and set on fire. The court imposed a two-year sentence for arson and a sentence of four years, 10 months and 19 days for the shooting offence. T