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Canadian diplomat expelled from China in retaliation for similar move by Ottawa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:15 GMT

China has declared a Canadian diplomat as “persona non grata” in retaliation for Ottawa’s expulsion of a Chinese consular official, who Canada’s spy agency alleged was involved in a plot to intimidate Conservative MP Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong.On Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry posted a statement on its English website saying China was deploying a “reciprocal countermeasure to Canada’s unscrupulous move,” which it said it “strongly condemns and firmly opposes.”The statement said Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, consul of the Consulate General of Canada in Shanghai, has been asked to leave before May 13, and that China reserves the right to further react.On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly issued a statement that Canada had declared Toronto-based diplomat Zhao Wei as “persona non grata.”Calls for Zhao to be expelled began last week after a report in the Globe and Mail that CSIS had informat...

Joly to announce Canada’s bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:15 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada is throwing its hat in the ring for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, pledging to advance issues from online speech to access to abortion.Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly will announce this afternoon Canada’s candidacy to sit on the council for 2028 to 2030, through an election that will likely take place in 2026.Two government sources familiar with the matter, who were not authorized to speak publicly before the official announcement, say Canada is running on a bid that will highlight six main priorities, including holding states accountable for locking up human-rights activists.Advancing gender equality, LGBTQ rights, sexual health and reproductive rights will be another focus of Canada’s candidacy.Canada plans to echo the Harper government’s focus on freedom of religious beliefs, while tying it to anti-racism programs and advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples worldwide.So far, Greece has announced a run for one of...

A year later, Ukrainian hopes to stay in rural Newfoundland but work is hard to find

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:15 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Stanislav Vasylchuk is more than 6,000 kilometres from home, and he’s the only Ukrainian in the remote Newfoundland mining town of Baie Verte, a community of about 1,300 people surrounded by scrubby northern woods and towering rocky slopes. There are no hip cafés where the 29-year-old engineer might meet people. There isn’t even a set of stoplights.But he loves it. He hikes, he goes to barbecues, he does yoga at the gym and he lives next to the ocean. “I don’t know how to explain it,” he said in a recent interview over Zoom. “It’s beautiful. It’s just beautiful.”Vasylchuk arrived in Newfoundland a year ago Tuesday, part of a provincial government-led effort to bring Ukrainians fleeing the war to a province with a dwindling rural population. But after the company running the Baie Verte gold and copper mine where he worked declared insolvency last month, he’s in the same boat as so many rural Newfound...

Firefighters question Alberta cuts to aerial attack teams as province battles blazes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:15 GMT

EDMONTON — Former members of an elite Alberta wildfire-fighting crew say government budget cuts have left the province battling its current blazes short-handed. “We could have been difference-makers,” said Jordan Erlandson, a former member of Alberta’s Rapattack team.Those firefighters were trained to rappel from helicopters to get at wildfires while they still only covered a few hectares. When one storm sparked several fires, they could extinguish them before they merged. They also cleared landing spaces for other helicopters to bring in crews and gear. That program once had 63 firefighters stationed around the province, including at Edson, Fox Creek and Lac La Biche — communities now threatened by one of the busiest early fire seasons in provincial history. But that program was cut in 2019 by the United Conservatives. “They told us the program had been eliminated,” said former member Adam Clyne. “They just said budget.”The saving was...

Favourable forecast may help Alberta firefighting effort, but heat expected to return

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:15 GMT

Parts of Alberta are experiencing cooler temperatures and even light rain as the province remains under a state of emergency while dozens of wildfires continue raging.The government is warning, however, that a return to hot and dry conditions is expected and that fires can reignite even after several days of light rain.More than 29,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes in recent days.There were roughly 90 active wildfires burning as of Monday evening, with 25 listed as out of control.The provincial government has announced one-time payments worth $1,250 per adult and $500 per dependent child will be available as early as today for those forced to spend at least seven straight days away from home.Premier Danielle Smith says military personnel will be deployed to prevent looting and maintain order in evacuated communities. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2023.The Canadian Press

Daily horoscope for May 9, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:15 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Capricorn.Happy Birthday for Tuesday, May 9, 2023:You are a strong-willed person who holds to your views. Loyalty, commitment and trust are important issues for you. Because you have strong convictions, you can inspire others. This is a wonderful year to socialize and enjoy life! Let your guard down and loosen up a bit!ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★Keep an eye on your money and your assets today, because anything might happen. This is the kind of day where you might find money or you might lose money. Do what you can to protect what you own against loss, theft or damage. Meanwhile, you might have a genius-like moneymaking idea. Tonight: We see you.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★You feel impulsive and restless, which is why you might do or say unpredictable things today. For example, you might suddenly do something that others think is reckless or crazy. Likely, you will surprise someone. Unexpe...

More than 1,600 evacuated from Zaporizhzhia nuclear-plant areas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:15 GMT

Around 1,679 people including 660 children have been evacuated in areas near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Moscow-installed officials said late Sunday night (7 May).On Saturday, the head of U.N. nuclear power watchdog warned that the situation surrounding the plant had become "potentially hazardous", as officials from Moscow began to evacuate people from the nearby areas.Ukraine is expected soon to launch a counteroffensive, which has been eagerly anticipated, to retake territory held by Russia. This includes the Zaporizhzhia area.Yevgeny Balitsy, the Russian-installed governor of the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia Region, stated on his Telegram channel that "(the evacuees have) already been placed at the temporary accommodation center for residents of front-line territory of the Zaporizhzhia Region in Berdiansk".Berdiansk, a port city in south-eastern Ukraine on the Sea of Azov coast has been occupied since February 2022 when Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Harriette Cole: I can’t put up with her rants any longer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:15 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: Every time I see a certain friend, she begins the conversation by criticizing something that I said or did, or that someone else said or did. She is the ultimate Debbie Downer.It’s impossible to change the subject until she has completed her rant. Once she’s done, she is usually able to settle down and have a regular conversation, but enduring the harsh, judgmental words about someone I care about is tough. I am a positive person, and I do not want to have to endure her tirades.How can I handle this?Reached My LimitDEAR REACHED MY LIMIT: You have to decide how much you care about her. Why? Because if she seems incapable of changing and your love for her is not big enough to allow her to do her negative dance first, this may be the moment when you part ways. And that could be OK.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I don’t know what to tell them about my daughter’s love life Advice | Harriette Cole: I heard the sn...

Miss Manners: When we older folks make a pronoun slip, there’s crying and shouting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:15 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Thank you for addressing the issue of “intent to offend” as opposed to being slow to adapt to newly identified verbiage. The issue our family is experiencing relates to pronoun identity.I have a family member who has declared they/them pronouns, along with a change to their given name, in the last year. The elderly members of our family are respectful of this. We do, however, make verbal slips, both with the new name and pronoun. We aren’t intentionally using the wrong ones, but it’s a process, especially since we don’t see them but twice a year.The issue: If we slip up and don’t correct ourselves immediately, the conversation becomes a battle. They will either aggressively correct the offender or refuse to respond, and the conversation is hijacked.I don’t want to be disrespectful, but I have found myself hesitant to converse with them because it has the risk of major sidetracking and drama (crying and shouting). I have as...

Dear Abby: A pack of widows jumps on that scolding sister-in-law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:15 GMT

DEAR ABBY: “Unsure How To Feel” was upset about changes her sister-in-law was making after the death of her husband. Within months, the widow had given away the husband’s belongings and begun making changes to their home.I saw myself in that column. I lost my beloved husband unexpectedly at the age of 47. Seeing his clothes and belongings in our closets every time I opened the doors was painful. They were a constant reminder of what I’d lost.After selecting a few meaningful items, I began giving his belongings to close family members and then to charities.When my daughter became upset, I realized that we all process our grief in different ways. She wanted to preserve everything the way it was. Neither reaction is wrong.And as for the SIL’s remodeling, I did exactly what she did. For me, it was a way to regain control of my life. My husband’s death was shocking and heartbreaking. Having a project gave me something to focus on other than my grief.Re...