- NewsThe Canadian Press
Ford striking special committee to dig deeper into Ontario's fiscal situation
Premier Doug Ford slammed his predecessor's handling of Ontario's books Monday, calling it the "biggest government scandal in a generation," as he announced plans for a special committee that would dig further into the province's fiscal situation. Ford's vow to hold the previous regime accountable came in a speech to caucus delivered days after his finance minister announced Ontario was dealing with a recently revised $15 billion deficit as a result of Liberal accounting practices. Critics said Ford's move would likely set the stage for cuts to services and expressed skepticism about the committee's work.
NewsReutersAs U.S. sanctions near, Europe fails to protect Iran deal
"You can't," the official said, and with just six weeks until the next wave of U.S. sanctions hits Iran on Nov. 4, European diplomats acknowledge he was right. The European Union has failed to design a workable legal shield for its companies in Iran to beat the global reach of the U.S. financial system and defy President Trump, the diplomats say. EU-Iranian trade this year is running at 2 billion euros ($2.35 billion) a month, but this is expected to fall as big European companies pull out and Iranian oil exports are choked off by U.S. sanctions.
NewsReutersRussia to give Syria S-300 air defense after accusations against Israel
The White House said it hoped Russia would reconsider the move, which U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton called a "significant escalation" of Syria's seven-year war. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow had in the past obliged Israel by refraining from providing Syria with the S-300. "A modern S-300 air defense missile system will be transferred to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks," he said.
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Case adjourned for man accused of killing four people in Fredericton
FREDERICTON — A Fredericton man accused of killing four people, including two city police officers, is due back in court next month after his case was adjourned Monday.
NewsThe Canadian PressOttawa area residents take stock of tornado rubble as Ford tours the ruins
Word of Friday's tornado reached Laurel Wingrove and Alex Carlson at a Toronto wedding, and by Sunday morning they completed the grim pilgrimage back to the apartment they've called home for four months. On the Ottawa side, 51 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, and this neighbourhood saw the "brunt of the damage," said Mayor Jim Watson. The national weather agency said a powerful twister — with winds that reached 265 kilometres per hour — ripped through Dunrobin, about 35 kilometres west of the downtown area, before moving on to Gatineau.
- NewsCBC
Pipeline and politics: Notley used Trans Mountain mess to attack Jason Kenney
The Alberta NDP government used the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion mess as an opportunity to try and score political points against United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney. Internal documents detailing the NDP government's talking points on the pipeline this spring demonstrate the government's dogged attempts to paint Kenney as slick and capricious, said Calgary-based pollster Janet Brown. "They've been trying really hard to back Jason Kenney into a corner, they've been trying really hard to vilify him," Brown said in an interview with CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.
NewsReutersChina says U.S. trying to force it to submit on trade as new tariffs kick in
Soon after the new duties went into effect, China accused the United States of engaging in "trade bullyism" and said it was intimidating other countries to submit to its will, the official Xinhua news agency said, reiterating China's willingness to fight if necessary. U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and retaliatory tariffs by Beijing on $60 billion worth of U.S. products took effect at midday Asian time, though the initial level of the duties was not as high as earlier feared.
- NewsThe Canadian Press
AP investigation: Drug prices going up despite Trump promise
President Donald Trump made reducing drug prices a key promise during his election campaign, repeatedly accusing drugmakers of "getting away with murder." At the end of May, he promised that drug companies would be announcing "massive" voluntary drug price cuts within two weeks. Over the first seven months of the year, there were 96 price hikes for every price cut, the AP found. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, the administration's point person for efforts to lower drug prices, conceded in a recent AP interview that it will be a while before drug prices fall.
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Police officer rescues little pig found hoofing down Toronto-area highway
York regional police tweeted a photo Monday of an officer holding a young pig found wandering along a major highway north of Toronto late last Friday morning. Another photo shows the little pig peeking up from the floor in the back of a police cruiser. Laura Nicolle says it's not known where the pig came from.
Yahoo Canada Original VideosPowerful Canadian tornadoes
These are some of the most notable twisters to touch down in Canada.
- NewsCBC
Admiralty House orders a construction stop after a new discovery under their own parking lot
The Admiralty House Communications Museum in Mount Pearl has stopped construction on its parking lot after unearthing what appear to be concrete structures underneath.
- NewsCBC
New sobering, day centre a huge improvement, say Yellowknife's homeless
Some people who live on the streets in Yellowknife say the new sobering and day centre on 50th Street is a huge improvement to the services they had access to before. Norman Pierrot has been homeless off and on for two months. Pierrot said that one of the great things about the new centre is that it's not overcrowded, unlike the previous shelter.
- NewsCBC
Spurred on by CAQ's millionaire leader, other party leaders release tax returns, reveal assets
With one week to go before the Oct. 1 provincial election, the leader of Coalition Avenir Québec, François Legault, revealed the extent of his financial assets Monday, calling on other political leaders to do the same. It also provided an opportunity for the wealthy entrepreneur to remind voters of his business acumen, as the co-founder of the charter airline, Air Transat. The home he and his wife, Isabelle Brais, co-own in Outremont is worth more than $4.5 million.
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Concordia University names engineering faculty after female graduate Gina Cody
A woman who had $2,000 when she arrived in Canada nearly 40 years ago has donated $15 million to Concordia University and had its faculty of engineering and computer science named after her. Gina Cody, who in 1989 became the first woman to graduate with a PhD in building engineering from Concordia, forged a successful business career in Toronto after leaving Iran in 1979. Concordia says it is the first university engineering faculty in Canada to be named after a woman.
- NewsCBC
Fall gardening in Alberta made easy
Chelsie Anderson is a natural gardener and The Homestretch's seasonal gardening columnist. In Canmore they have been overwintering and that's what worries me, because I thought they may just die out with the cold weather but they won't.
- NewsReuters
UK watchdog considers fining Tesco Bank over cyberattack: Sky News
(Reuters) - Britain's finance watchdog is considering fining the banking arm of Tesco Plc more than 30 million pounds ($39 million) over a 2016 cyberattack, Sky News reported on Monday. Tesco Bank is contesting the scale of the Financial Conduct Authority's proposed penalty and is in active negotiations with the watchdog about it, Sky reported, citing a legal source. A "substantially lower" sum could be agreed within the next few weeks, Sky added, citing a source.
- NewsCBC
All aboard! Couple creates intricate tiny train world in Alberta backyard
For nearly 10 years, Tom and Judy Keeler have gone full steam ahead in creating, building and maintaining the Green Creek Railway. It's a labour of love and a big job to keep their miniature backyard model train set and surrounding garden scenes fresh and in working order. "I really enjoy getting the plants in the right positions and creating the scenarios," Tom Keeler said.
NewsReutersSnapchat ties up with Amazon for point-and-buy
(Reuters) - Snap Inc said on Monday it is testing a new way to search for products on Amazon.com through its Snapchat app's camera, allowing users to shop directly using the messaging app. The visual search function will allow Snapchat users to point its camera at an item or barcode and buy it from Amazon. "When the item or barcode is recognized, an Amazon card will appear on-screen, surfacing a link for that product or similar ones available on Amazon," the company said on a blog post.
NewsReutersIndian sailor rescued from yacht stranded off Australian coast
An Indian sailor injured in a solo round-the-world race has been rescued, the Indian Navy said on Monday, after Australian authorities said a French ship was nearing his storm-damaged yacht off Australia's west coast. The sailor, Abhilash Tomy, called for emergency assistance on Saturday after the yacht was badly damaged in a storm about 3,500 km (2,175 miles) west of Australia, leaving him with severe back injuries. "Tomy rescued safely," the Indian Navy said on Twitter, without giving further details.
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade board less than jolly about event's future
The board of Winnipeg's Santa Claus Parade suggests there will be no clatter of reindeer hooves on downtown streets this year unless funding can be found in time to save the more than century old event. The statement says the old Santa Claus float was deemed unsafe after more than 65 years in operation, and plans for a replacement were put into action after securing a new sponsorship. "We are so passionate about this storied and historic Winnipeg event and we sincerely hope we see this tradition continue,” said board chair Rennie Zegalski.
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Persian speakers aiming to add Farsi to B.C. public school language curriculum
Students in British Columbia's public schools could have another option for language studies, if a new campaign is successful. The Farsi Dar B.C. campaign is aiming for Farsi, also called Persian, to be added to the list of nine languages included in the Education Ministry's policy covering second-language requirements for Grades 5 through 8. Farsi is spoken in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and some Persian Gulf states, and the latest Canadian census shows it is the mother tongue of more than 43,000 residents in B.C.
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Score! Scrabble dictionary adds 'OK,' 'ew' to official play
Scrabble players, time to rethink your game because 300 new words are coming your way, including some long-awaited gems: OK and ew, to name a few. Merriam-Webster released the sixth edition of "The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary" on Monday, four years after the last freshening up. The company, at the behest of Scrabble owner Hasbro Inc., left out one possibility under consideration for a hot minute — RBI — after consulting competitive players who thought it potentially too contentious.
Yahoo Canada Original VideosWhat is the UN Security Council and why does Canada want a seat
Justin Trudeau has started the campaign to join the UN Security Council.
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Newfoundland's popular 'merb'ys' calendar is back, sparklier than ever
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A stunningly popular calendar of burly, bearded mermen posing against scenic Newfoundland backdrops for charity is back for a second year. The 2018 'merb'ys' calendar — drawing its name from 'mermaid' and the Newfoundland moniker for 'buddy' — became a viral, global success when it launched last year, raising over $300,000 for mental health. Proceeds from the second calendar, which launched Saturday, will go to Violence Prevention Newfoundland and Labrador, for a project that aims to challenge traditional concepts of masculinity and engage men in violence prevention.
- NewsCBC
Yukon government cancels $904K contract with Yellowknife firm, calling it a 'mistake'
The Yukon government has cancelled a contract with a Yellowknife architecture firm, worth almost $1 million. The territory's minister of public works says a contract for $904,086 should not have been awarded to Taylor Architecture Group. The contract, to oversee the design and construction of Whitehorse's planned francophone high school, was penned in April through a standing offer agreement.
