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Pope Francis opens a big Vatican meeting on the church’s future and says ‘everyone’ is welcome

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:01:14 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis opened a big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church on Wednesday by saying it was in need of repair to make it a place of welcome for “everyone, everyone, everyone,” not a rigid barricade riven by fears and ideology.Francis presided over a solemn Mass in St. Peter’s Square to formally open the meeting, which progressives are hoping will lead to more women in leadership roles and conservatives are warning could split the church.Rarely in recent times has a Vatican gathering generated as much hope, hype and fear as this three-week, closed-door meeting, known as a synod. It won’t make any binding decisions and is only the first session of a two-year process. But it nevertheless has drawn an acute battle line in the church’s perennial left-right divide and marks a defining moment for Francis and his reform agenda.In his homily, Francis acknowledged the ideological divisions at play but urged the faithful to put them aside and instead listen t...

Firefighters work until dawn to remove wreckage of bus carrying tourists in Venice; 21 dead

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:01:14 GMT

VENICE (AP) — Firefighters worked until dawn Wednesday to remove the wreckage of a bus that crashed in a borough of Venice, Italy, across the lagoon from its historic center, killing 21 people and injuring at least 15, mostly foreign tourists returning to a nearby camping site. The victims included at least four Ukrainians and a German citizen, according to Venice prefecture. Injured people, including five in serious condition, included French, Spanish and Croatian nationals, local officials said.At least two of the dead were children, Venice prefect Michele Di Bari said, adding that many of the people involved in the accident were “young.” The bus — which was new and electric — was carrying foreign tourists when it fell from an elevated street on Tuesday evening, catching fire. The shuttle was connecting Piazzale Roma, in Venice’s historic center, to the Hu campground in Marghera, another borough of Venice neighbouring Mestre. The Italian driver, Alberto Rizzotto, was killed ...

Funeral for B.C. Mountie Rick O’Brien, 51, killed while serving search warrant

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:01:14 GMT

LANGLEY, B.C. — A regimental funeral, including a procession and final salute, will be held for RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien today in Langley, B.C.O’Brien, who was 51, died Sept. 22 while he and other officers were executing a search warrant at a home in Coquitlam. He was shot and died at the scene, while two other officers and the suspect were injured.O’Brien came to the Mounties late in life, joining in 2016 after a career of working with at-risk children, but it wasn’t long before he was decorated for bravery for helping to rescue victims from a home invasion. Supt. Wendy Mehat, the officer in charge at Ridge Meadows RCMP, where the officer spent all of his career, said after O’Brien was killed that he loved visiting schools and helping students, while calling his death senseless and heartbreaking.A 25-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in O’Brien’s death. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2023....

‘It’s a new party’: How Conservatives try to rebuild trust among Muslim communities

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:01:14 GMT

OTTAWA — When Pierre Poilievre pitches the Conservative party to Muslim Canadians, he talks about “faith, family and freedom.”For months he has been pointing out what he sees as their overlapping values during visits to mosques, at community celebrations, with businesses and in conversations with ethnic media outlets.It’s part of an effort to grow the party’s presence, particularly in larger cities that are home to many racialized Canadians whose support for the Conservatives plummeted during the final months of Stephen Harper’s government and his divisive 2015 campaign. Poilievre has also fine-tuned his message to appeal to growing concerns from some parents, echoed by several prominent Muslim organizations, about what their children are learning about LGBTQ+ issues in schools. He is gaining some traction with his acknowledgment of such worries, but whether he will take action through party policy remains unclear, given his firm view that education is ...

Mischief and armed assault in Montreal as residents protest new bike lanes

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:01:14 GMT

MONTREAL — Xavier Richard says he was taking a stroll through his Montreal neighbourhood last week when he noticed a pedestrian hunched over in one of the area’s new bike lanes.Richard approached to offer assistance. That’s when he saw the thumbtacks — more than 100 strewn across the path. He spent the next few minutes helping the stranger, who had stopped to pick them up.“The climate is tense,” Richard said of recent politics in the Park Extension neighbourhood, northwest of downtown. He said he doesn’t know how the thumbtacks got there, or who may have dropped them, but he suspects it was a deliberate act. “There’s animosity that’s particularly brought on by opponents of bikes or the bike path.”In bike-friendly Montreal, opposition to new cycling lanes in Park Extension and the nearby St-Michel neighbourhood has been notably fervent: groups of residents have organized protests, and police have reported instances of mischief, armed assault and ob...

‘Gratifying’: Indigenous leaders reflect on Kinew’s historic election win in Manitoba

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:01:14 GMT

Manitobans made history Tuesday night for electing an NDP government led by Wab Kinew, who is to become the first First Nations premier of a province in Canada. Kinew was raised as a young boy on the Onigaming First Nation in northwestern Ontario, later moving with his family to Winnipeg. His late father was not allowed to vote as a young man under Canadian law at the time.“To witness this tonight, it’s really gratifying,” Eric Robinson, a former Manitoba NDP cabinet minister and deputy premier, said in an interview. “I think First Nations people, and Indigenous people in general across Canada, should feel proud of Manitoba. We’ve demonstrated through perseverance, some hard work and participation in the mainstream Canadian politics, that it has paid off in a big way.”John Norquay was the first Indigenous person to serve as Manitoba’s premier. Norquay, who was Métis, became the province’s fifth premier in 1878.While other Métis people ...

First Nations premier to lead Manitoba after historic election win

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:01:14 GMT

WINNIPEG — Manitobans are waking up today to a new government and the first First Nations provincial premier in the country.The New Democrats and Leader Wab Kinew defeated the Progressive Conservatives to form a majority government, which resulted in the resignation of the other two main party leaders. Heather Stefanson announced she would step down after leading the Tories for nearly two years, after several of her cabinet members lost their seats in Winnipeg. As of early this morning, Stefanson was narrowly holding onto her seat in the Winnipeg riding of Tuxedo.Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont resigned after he lost his Winnipeg riding and his party was reduced to one seat from the previous three.Kinew says his victory is a victory for everyone in Manitoba.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2023. The Canadian Press

How rate hikes have sparked debate on the causes of inflation and how to fight it

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:01:14 GMT

OTTAWA — Central banks have been trying their best to convince the public that their interest rate hikes are ultimately for the greater good. But not everyone is buying it. An informal coalition of labour groups, political leaders and economists has formed over the last year and a half to challenge the very economic concepts behind monetary policy. In particular, these voices have objected to central banks’ focus on cooling the labour market, something that would ultimately mean a higher unemployment rate and lower wage growth. Economists traditionally view a hot labour market as a sign of an overheated economy and is one of the indicators central banks monitor for inflation.In the U.K., economist Ann Pettifor has argued central banks have been obsessed with crushing demand and “disciplining” workers. Meanwhile, Wharton School emeritus professor of finance, Jeremy Siegel has called the U.S. Federal Reserve’s focus on the labour market “misguided.”...

Daily horoscope for October 4, 2023

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:01:14 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today until 11 p.m. PDT. The Moon is in Gemini.Happy Birthday for Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023:Sometimes you’re too inclined to put others first. (It’s wise to have a healthy self-interest.) Nevertheless, your efforts to help others are admirable. This year is playful and fun-loving! It’s time to nurture the happiness and beauty that you have within yourself. Gratitude will be important. Old friends might reappear.ARIES(March 21-April 19)★★★★Your communication skills are excellent today because not only will you be forceful and direct, you will also be charming and diplomatic. (That’s a killer combo.) You might even play the role of adjudicator or ombudsperson to others who are quarreling. Tonight: Conversations.TAURUS(April 20-May 20)★★★Financial talks will go well today, especially related to your job. Likewise, financial discussions that relate to real estate or home and family will also b...

InvestEU: €10 million support by the European Investment Bank to allow the scale-up of cancer detection technology in Poland

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:01:14 GMT

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed an agreement for a loan of up to €10 million with Lublin-based Polish company SDS Optic Inc., to support the development and commercialisation of its diagnostic and monitoring photonic biosensing platform. It is designed specifically to speed up cancer diagnostic time and increase precision and effects of advanced cancer treatments. The EIB investment is backed by the InvestEU programme.SDS Optic Inc. develops, produces, and commercialises diagnostics and monitoring devices, with a focus on assisting healthcare providers with faster, less painful diagnostics and targeted treatment procedures. The company merges molecular biology, advanced photonic technologies, immunochemistry, and biomedical engineering, having developed the first ever single cell resolution immunoassay for breast cancer real-time diagnostic.Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said: “With this investment backed by the InvestEU programme, we double down on our commitmen...