Indian farmers reinforce protest sites to mark year of demonstrations

Tens of thousands of Indian farmers marched overnight to reinforce protesting colleagues camping on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi to mark a year of sustained demonstrations against three farm laws introduced last year. Seeking to end the longest-running farmers' protest that galvanised growers across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week bowed to the protesters' demand to repeal the controversial laws introduced in September 2020. Modi, striking a conciliatory note, promised his government would repeal the laws in the new session of parliament, starting next week.

Indigenous artists working with companies like Instagram, Purolator say representation is important

Corporations are commissioning Indigenous art, and that's not only good for the artists, but good for business as well, according to one business scholar. Emily Kewageshig, an Anishinaabe artist from Saugeen First Nation in Ontario, recently teamed up with courier Purolator to design a limited-edition holiday box. "A lot of people are so happy to be seeing my work more mainstream," said Kewageshig. Kewageshig is a painter in the Woodland style created by artist Norval Morisseau. She depicted dee

Britain says new COVID-19 variant is the most significant yet found

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Friday that a newly identified coronavirus variant spreading in South Africa was of huge concern, and considered by scientists to be the most significant one yet found as it could make vaccines less effective. The UK Health Security Agency said that the variant - called B.1.1.529 - had a spike protein that was dramatically different to the one in the original coronavirus that COVID-19 vaccines are based on. The variant has also been found in Botswana and Hong Kong, and Britain has banned flights from South Africa and five neighbouring countries.

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  New COVID variant emerges leading health care leaders to stress the importance of vaccinations

  WGBA - Green Bay Scripps
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  New COVID variant Omicron triggers global alarm, market sell-off

  Reuters

Thai chain's cannabis pizza: trendy but won't get you high

BANGKOK (AP) — One of Thailand’s major fast food chains has been promoting its “Crazy Happy Pizza” this month, an under-the-radar product topped with a cannabis leaf. It’s legal but won’t get you high. Veterans of the backpacker trail, familiar with the legendary pizza parlors of neighboring Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh that offer powerful marijuana as an optional condiment, might feel downright cheated. “Of course, they cannot get high,” Panusak Suensatboon, general manager of The Pizza Compan

Solomon Islands violence recedes but not underlying tension

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Violence receded Friday in the capital of the Solomon Islands, but the government showed no signs of addressing the underlying grievances that sparked two days of riots, including concerns about the country's increasing links with China. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare sought to deflect attention from domestic issues by blaming outside interference for stirring up the protesters, with a thinly veiled reference to Taiwan and the United States. External

Prime minister tours flood zones as B.C. officials warn more storms are coming

THE LATEST: Three major highways will be partially shut down on Saturday as a precaution, the province said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in British Columbia for his first visit since record-breaking rainfall caused widespread flooding and mudslides in the province — and just as more storms are forecast to hit this weekend. The prime minister is touring the city of Abbotsford in the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver, which has been particularly hit hard by the floods. While Trudeau surveys th

French fishermen disrupt UK trade routes over fishing licence row

CALAIS, France (Reuters) -French fishermen temporarily blockaded the port of Calais and Channel Tunnel rail link in an effort to disrupt trade between Britain and the continent on Friday, escalating a row over licences to fish in British waters. Fishing rights plagued Brexit talks for years, not because of their economic importance but because of their political significance for both President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Britain and the EU agreed to set up a licensing system to grant fishing vessels access to each other's waters but France says it has not been given the full number it is due, while Britain says only those lacking the correct documentation have not been granted.

What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday, Nov. 26

Recent developments: Canada is limiting travel from some countries as a result. The Kingston area has tightened private indoor gathering rules. What's the latest? The World Health Organization has declared the new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa as a variant of concern and named it Omicron. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced Friday Canada will limit travel from seven countries in southern Africa in response, along with some new testing and quarantine requirements. WATCH LI

Japan to supplement military spending in rush to bolster air and sea defences

Japan plans to add $6.75 billion to its already record annual military spending in a rush to bolster air and maritime defences as it becomes more concerned about threats posed by China and North Korea. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government on Friday approved the outlay as part of a supplementary budget. While such additions to defence spending are common, the 774 billion yen that lawmakers will be asked to approve is the largest amount ever, according to Japan's Ministry of Defence.

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  Japan’s Kishida Delivers $316 billion Extra Budget for Recovery

  Bloomberg
• UPDATE 1-Japan approves extra budget, worries rise over debt pile

  Reuters

Bail hearing for Peter Nygard adjourned again to December

A bail hearing for former fashion mogul Peter Nygard was adjourned again in a Toronto courtroom Friday morning as lawyers try to find dates for a longer hearing. The hearing is related to charges of sexual assault and forcible confinement in Toronto. Nygard's defence lawyer, Brian Greenspan, told the court Friday he and Ontario Crown prosecutors had a special bail hearing conference that morning to try to find two days to schedule the matter, but no dates have been set yet. In the meantime, the

Concerns rise over Indonesia's sputtering virus vaccinations

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia has recovered significantly from a mid-year spike in coronavirus cases and deaths that was one of the worst in the region, but with its vaccination drive stalling due to logistical challenges and other issues, and with holidays approaching, experts and officials warn it could soon face another surge. Indonesia started its vaccination rollout earlier than any other country in Southeast Asia on Jan. 13, and as infection and death rates soared in July and August,

Supply shortages in Port aux Basques, N.L., as residents wait for storm-damaged roads to be fixed

With Channel-Port aux Basques cut off from the rest of Newfoundland after this week's record-setting rainstorm, the member of the House of Assembly for the region is asking residents not to hoard food or gas as supplies start to dwindle. Energy Minister Andrew Parsons, who is the member for the district of Burgeo–La Poile, which includes Port aux Basques, took to Facebook Thursday night to share the latest update for the community of about 4,000. Parsons wrote there is a gas shortage in the town

Did your young child get a flu shot recently? Their COVID-19 vaccine may have to wait

Parents looking to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 might be surprised to learn those aged five to 11 will need to wait if they've also received a flu shot in the last two weeks. It's a detail that's been quietly added to the federal government's information page on vaccinating children and the Ottawa Public Health website. According to the federal government's site, "if possible, children shouldn't receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine within 14 days of other vaccines, suc

5 big questions about cyberattacks during COVID-19

The hospital in Kemptville. The transit network in Gatineau. The municipal government in Clarence-Rockland. Those are just a few of the Ottawa-area organizations victimized in recent weeks by cybercriminals, emboldened as the COVID-19 pandemic forces people to work from home and more and more business gets conducted online. The health-care sector in particular has proven a juicy target: just this month, the Rideau Valley Health Centre also experienced a "cybersecurity incident" that took down it

New Westminster police ask for public assistance following suspected child luring incident

Police in New Westminster are asking for public assistance in identifying a man suspected of child luring in the city's Sapperton Park on Sunday evening. Investigators say two boys were walking past a parked brown minivan in the area around 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 21 when a man approached them. The man allegedly asked the boys if they would like to see a puppy inside his van, but both boys ran away and told an adult what happened. Police are now looking for the suspect, and have asked local businesses

Kids 5-11 can now get their COVID-19 shots. What else changes?

Children ages five to 11 will start getting their COVID-19 shots in Ottawa today, and while some parents may have questions about the health and safety of the vaccines, they may also have some logistical queries. Here's a list of things they'll want to know. Vaccine passports The Ontario government says it won't enforce a vaccine passport for children under 12. Under the current rules, anyone 12 or older must show proof of vaccination for a range of activities including dining indoors and going

Monster storm exposes need to prepare East Coast roads for repeated deluges: experts

HALIFAX — Atlantic Canadians living along highways severed by this week's torrential rain say it's past time for governments to focus on retrofitting roads to ensure they can survive deluges that are predicted to become more frequent. "This was a wake-up call, and we're probably going to need a few wake-up calls before we start getting ready for it," Peter MacGillivray said on Wednesday after two culverts on Highway 245 near his home in northern Nova Scotia were taken out by the latest storm. Th

What experts predict the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine will do for national vaccination rates

More than two million Canadian kids aged five to 11 are now eligible to get Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 pediatric vaccine — and with that comes an opportunity to get closer to reducing transmission of COVID-19 in the country. But what will the rollout of vaccines for this age group do for national vaccination rates? As one of the last remaining portions of the population to get vaccinated, kids aged five to 11 will play an important role, health experts say. "Every additional person that gets vac

Not all Montreal retailers embrace Black Friday as supply, staff shortages take toll

On Thursday, while Americans feasted on turkey and pie, it was business as usual at Terre à soi, an eco-friendly grocer in Montreal's east end. But, as most retail businesses open for crazed Black Friday shoppers eager to jump on once-a-year deals, Terre à soi will be closed. "Our values are more important than the money we could've made," said Sebastein Guertin, the store's district manager. In the past, the store has donated Black Friday profits to charity. But this year, due to supply issues