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Law enforcement officers far outnumbered protesters at state capitol grounds on Sunday, as few Trump supporters who believe the president's false claim that he won the 2020 election turned out for what authorities feared could be violent demonstrations. More than a dozen states activated National Guard troops to help secure their capitol buildings following an FBI warning of armed demonstrations, with right-wing extremists emboldened by the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6.
Deemed consent organ donation means that everyone is assumed to be an organ donor unless they opt out, but assuming consent raises some ethical issues.
BERLIN — The Austrian government is extending the country's lockdown until Feb. 7 in a drive to push down still-high infection figures as officials worry about the possible impact of new coronavirus variants. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Sunday that some measures will also be tightened as a result of the more infectious variants that were first detected in Britain and South Africa. He said people will now be asked to stay 2 metres (61/2 feet) apart instead of 1 metre. Beginning on Jan. 25, they will also be required to wear full protective masks on public transport and in shops, rather than just fabric face coverings. People on low incomes will get such masks free, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said. Austria’s current lockdown, its third, started on Dec. 26 and was to end on Jan. 24. Kurz said Austria is keen to avoid a situation such as that in Britain and Ireland, where infections have risen sharply and rapidly as new variants take hold. So far, Austria has over 150 suspected infections with the British variant, Anschober said. Kurz said Austria needs to get as close as it can to, and preferably below, an infection level of 50 new cases per 100,000 residents over 7 days. The figure now stands at 131. “Our aim is to approach this figure ... by Feb. 8 and start the first steps toward opening on Feb. 8,” with schools, nonessential shops, museums and services such as hairdressers reopening, Kurz told a news conference in Vienna. But Kurz made clear that restaurants and hotels will have to wait longer. “We have to assume at present that, at least in February, it will not be possible to open tourism and catering," he said, adding that a decision will be made in mid-February. Austria, a nation of 8.9 million, has confirmed nearly 390,000 cases and seen 6,964 deaths related to COVID-19. ——- Follow AP coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak The Associated Press
NAIROBI, Kenya — New satellite images of a refugee camp in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region show more than 400 structures have been badly damaged in what a research group believes is the latest “intentional attack” by fighters. The report by the U.K.-based DX Open Network non-profit, shared with The Associated Press, says “it is likely that the fire events of 16 January are yet another episode in a series of military incursions on the camp as reported by (the United Nations refugee agency).” The Shimelba camp is one of four that hosted 96,000 refugees from nearby Eritrea when fighting erupted in early November between Ethiopian forces and those of the defiant Tigray region. The fighting has swept through the camps and two of them, including Shimelba, remain inaccessible to aid workers. Many refugees have fled. On Thursday, U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi cited recent satellite imagery of fires and other destruction at the two inaccessible camps as “concrete indications of major violations of international law.” On Sunday the U.N. refugee agency urged that it be given access to the camps. “Until November, 8,700 refugees were registered in Shimelba. We have no information on how many refugees were still in the camp last week,” U.N. refugee agency spokesman Chris Melzer said in an email. “We still have no access to the two northern camps, Shimelba and Hitsats (25,248 refugees registered in November). We demand access since the refugees are without supplies for two and a half months now and we are extremely concerned. We also saw satellite pictures and heard frightening reports. But since we don’t have access we cannot confirm them.” The new report says the satellite images show “smouldering ruins, blackening of structures and collapsed roofs.” The structures, it said, “match the profile of mud-brick dwellings constructed by the refugees themselves. The attackers likely split into multiple groups going door to door to set fires inside buildings," consistent with previous attacks on the Hitsats camp, which also is inaccessible. Neither the U.N. nor DX Open Network has blamed anyone for the attacks, but the presence of troops from Eritrea, a bitter enemy of the Tigray region’s now-fugitive leaders, has caused alarm. Grandi noted “many reliable reports and firsthand accounts” of abuses including the forced return of refugees to Eritrea. The day after Grandi’s statement, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel tweeted that “UNHCR seems to indulge, yet again, in another bout of gratuitous & irresponsible smear campaigns against Eritrea.” He said Eritrea rejects the “forced repatriation of ‘refugees.'" Eritrea has been described by human rights groups as one of the world's most repressive countries. Thousands of people have fled the country over the years to avoid a system of military conscription. Fighting continues in parts of the Tigray region. Thousands of people have been killed and more than 2 million displaced. Cara Anna, The Associated Press
OTTAWA, Ill. — For a man who has devoted his life to promoting kindness, a diagnosis of advanced-stage cancer in his pancreas and liver might seem the unkindest cut of all. But Rabbi Reuven Bulka, often dubbed "Canada's rabbi," says he has no complaints. "In terms of having complaints to God or complaints that life isn't giving me a fair shake, that doesn't enter my mind," the 76-year-old beloved spiritual leader in Ottawa's Jewish community said in a telephone interview from New York City, where he has gone to be with his five children. "I really feel blessed in the life that I've lived." Over almost 50 years as rabbi and now rabbi emeritus at Ottawa's Congregation Machzikei Hadas, Bulka has spent countless hours at the bedside of dying people and consoling grieving family members. It's an experience he feels has prepared him to face his own mortality. "When you see it happening all around you, you know that nothing is forever." Indeed, Bulka thinks it's beneficial to embrace that reality early on in life because it shifts your focus from the pursuit of pleasure to thinking seriously about the meaning of life and how to make the most of whatever time you have. "It doesn't mean that we can't enjoy life but we shouldn't be obsessed with the pleasures without being totally also focused on the meaning and doing things which are important that actually enhance the human condition, that actually improve people's lives and have a lasting impact," he says. "However long we're destined to live, when we say goodbye, that's an indelible part of one's resume. Nobody really cares whether you've golfed 1,000 rounds or 1,500 rounds … It's how you impact others that really defines who you are." Bulka has spent nearly his entire life trying to improve the human condition, starting at 16 when he took over rabbinical duties at his father's New York synagogue after his father suffered a serious heart attack. He has championed causes like organ and blood donation, co-founded Kindness Week in Ottawa and spearheaded many events aimed at promoting tolerance and understanding among people of different faiths. He has imparted his wisdom in dozens of books, a weekly newspaper column and a weekly radio phone-in show. Ottawa has given him the key to the city and named Rabbi Bulka Kindness Park in his honour. He's also been awarded the Order of Canada. "He's really been a healer when there's been religious rifts in the city and he's respected by all faiths and people of no faith at all," says Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. "He's just been a stalwart of our community for so, so long and we can do nothing now but pray for a miracle." On Monday, Congregation Machzikei Hadas will host a virtual "worldwide prayer rally" for Rabbi Bulka. "In Ottawa, we like to claim him as our own but certainly he's everybody's rabbi," says Rabbi Idan Scher, one of Bulka's successors at the synagogue. "The moniker Canada's rabbi … couldn't be more true." Indeed, Scher adds: "The people that he's touched live all over the world." Within a day of setting up a website last week (aprayerforrabbibulka.ca), Scher says about 2,000 people had registered to take part in the online rally. Former prime minister Stephen Harper and former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty are among the dignitaries scheduled to speak at the event. Bulka is probably best known to Canadians outside the capital from the annual Remembrance Day ceremonies at the National War Memorial — a role he modestly suggests was given to him some 30 years ago because the government wanted to engage a local rabbi "on the cheap" rather than bring one in from Montreal. Watson marvels that Bulka delivers his Remembrance Day sermons without referring to notes, never repeating the same message twice and always managing to capture a countrywide audience with "his words, his wisdom, his humour." Former interim Liberal leader Bob Rae, now Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, says Bulka has also been a national leader in "breaking down hatred and building greater religious understanding and embracing multiracialism and multi-faith work." He was among the first, Rae recalls, to reach out to Muslim groups when they faced a backlash following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001. Rev. Dr. Anthony Bailey, pastor at Ottawa's Parkdale United Church, recalls working with Bulka to organize a multi-faith blood donor drive in response to a spate of racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic graffiti spray-painted on houses of worship in Ottawa in 2016. "We were trying to make a statement that we basically support each other as human beings at the very level of blood," he says. Bulka practices what he preaches, says Andrew Bennett, director of the Cardus Religious Freedom Institute and former ambassador for religious freedom during the Harper government. "He is certainly a kind man, he really lives by that. But he lives it in a way that's not sort of superficial kindness, it's not sort of a Walmart-greeter kindness. It comes from a very deep place." Christians and Jews alike believe that human beings "bear the image and likeness of God," adds Bennett, a deacon in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. "And it's very easy for me to recognize that image and likeness in Rabbi Bulka." Bulka, like any human, says he thinks about things he should have or could have done. "I would say a person who lives a life without regrets is probably living in La-La land," he says. Still, he's grateful for everyone's "showing of appreciation and all their good wishes." "We'll do our best. With God's help, hopefully we'll be able to live a little bit longer." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2021. Joan Bryden, The Canadian Press
The debate about the U.S. Electoral College pits those who think the president should be chosen via popular vote versus those who believe the interests of small and large states must be balanced.
Susan Walsh isn't a documentarian nor an experienced renovator of historic homes, but in the last few months she has become both — and if her Facebook posts are a testament, she's pretty darn good at them. Walsh and her husband own and run a mixed farm of beef cattle, poultry and grains in Burnt Point, P.E.I., near Georgetown. She's also a part-time librarian. When their long-time neighbour's farm property became available for sale this summer, they decided to buy it, including the more than 120-year-old house. "Originally, we didn't even know what we would do — keep the land and then resell the house? I took a walk through its extensive grounds and the house itself, just an old house, great bones and great atmosphere and I went, 'No, I think we need to keep this house,'" Walsh said. It's called the Mair homestead, and was last owned by Colin (Collie) Mair, who died this past June at age 87. He'd grown up in the home with his six brothers and sisters. Many Mair descendants are still living, and Walsh has invited them and anyone else who is interested to watch and weigh in on renovations as she documents them on a Facebook page, Mair Homestead. My cousins and I are very happy to see the house we spent so much time in as children being restored by loving hands. — Jayne Ings "There was an older house on the farm that burned, this house was built around 1890," said descendant Jayne Ings, whose mother Connie grew up in the house. "James and Margaret Allen Mair were the first Mairs on the farm. She was from Boughton Island. Their son George married my grandmother, Doris Hearn, who emigrated from England in 1925," Ings said. Their children were Connie, Allen, George Keith and Anna Rosemary (George and Anna were nicknamed Jack and Jill because they were twins), Charles (Tim), and Colin. Doris Mair died in 2003. 'A very personal thing' Walsh is happy to have an ongoing conversation with the Mair descendants, she said. "It's really awesome, it just really makes the house — it brings it back to life," Walsh said. "That was a big thing right from the beginning, when we decided to purchase the house and the land, was to speak to the extended family just to make sure that they were OK that we were going to do some work, out of simple respect ... it was a very personal thing for me." Walsh grew up in neighbouring Nova Scotia and her parents only recently decided to sell the farm that had been in her family for 170 years, so she said she has a tender spot for historic family homes. "It was almost like losing one special old home and gaining another," Walsh said. "We just saw the potential in it." Walsh said it's important to her to respect and honour what the house stood for and the Mair family "who loved that house for over 100 years." While updating things like wiring, plumbing and insulation, Walsh said they are trying to keep the renovation authentic in look and spirit, keeping "the heart and the spirit of the house intact." 'I think it's wonderful' Ings has fond memories of visiting the Mair homestead and her grandparents George and Doris over the years. "My cousins and I are very happy to see the house we spent so much time in as children being restored by loving hands. We can also go visit!" Ings said, adding the Walsh family has a long history of farming and friendship with the Mair family, as both spent several generations there. I've had lots of people follow along and lots of people with really good ideas! — Susan Walsh Ings follows the renovations on Facebook, commenting on Walsh's posts about people whose names turn up written on layers of old wallpaper or on handwritten letters found in the walls. "I think it's wonderful," Ings said of the ability to see and comment on the renovations. 'I'm all about the sharing' The sale to the Walshes went through in September, and they began renovations shortly thereafter. With the help of a couple of hired hands and helpful friends along the way, Walsh has been actively tackling the renovation herself, including swinging a sledge hammer and putting on a proper mask for removing fibreglass insulation mixed with decades of dust. What else would you expect from a woman who climbed partway up Mt. Everest in Nepal a couple of years ago? "I just had a maul and crowbar and started gutting it," she said. "We've just kind of been winging it." Walsh decided to document the home's journey on Facebook, sharing with friends and strangers far and wide — New Zealand, the U.S. and Europe, as well as all over Canada — and also as a sort of personal journal of the work and the transformation, she said. "I know a lot of people enjoy that kind of thing — I thought, why not share this journey?" she said. "I've had lots of people follow along and lots of people with really good ideas! "It's just made it lots of fun, and I'm all about the sharing." With people unable to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, connections like this are even more important, Walsh said. Stripping 8 layers of wallpaper Walsh said she also wants to show that saving an old house isn't that difficult. One man from the U.S. who used to come to visit the area every summer and was friends with Collie Mair has joined in the page's discussion. He used to take Mair for drives, and said Mair was dismayed when he'd see old Island homesteads falling to ruin, and said he hoped that never happened to his house. Walsh said if she hadn't started the page, she wouldn't have known that. So far, they've trimmed hundreds of trees on the property to enhance the sightline to the Northumberland Strait and hung an outdoor swing. The house's classic exterior white clapboard and black shutters will remain largely the same for now, Walsh said. Inside the house, most rooms have been demolished to the studs, wallpaper stripped and plaster and lath (thin wood strips that held plaster in place) removed, then spray-foam insulated and drywalled. Ceilings and floors have been removed, and plywood sub-floor laid. A wall was removed in the kitchen to expand it, and upstairs three small bedrooms have become two larger ones, with ceilings removed to allow light from attractive original third-floor windows. Beams that once supported the attic are now exposed for a rustic touch in the upstairs bedrooms and bathroom. The one piece of furniture that remained in the house, a vintage pump organ, has pride of place in the front formal parlour where the Mairs would have entertained the local minister or ladies' groups. With its wooden mantelpiece, the room will likely become a quiet library, Walsh said. They are saving all of the hand-hewn beams that were removed from the house, as well as the laths — Walsh said they plan to repurpose them into furniture and other creations. They've also saved bits of patterned linoleum flooring, and wallpaper — eight layers in one room — and plan to frame some of the pretty, historic pieces. 'Just to show respect' During demolition, Walsh and her crew have discovered a treasure trove of P.E.I. history in the walls and hidden under floorboards. She has documented the many finds, including coins dating back more than 100 years, silver spoons, handwritten letters, cigarette packages, pieces of furniture, magazines and many old glass bottles. The biggest thing is just to be very present in the moment with a project like that — you can't look at the big picture. — Susan Walsh There was even a book from 1916 that in its dedication spelled the name Miar rather than Mair, which a descendant commented on Facebook may have been the original spelling back then. Walsh has placed some of the finds on the parlour mantel, along with offerings of fresh flowers and candy to honour the Mair ancestors. "I know some people think that's a bunch of hogwash, but for me it was just a nice thing to be able to do," she said. "Just to show respect." 'Super overwhelming' Walsh said she is not sure what exactly they plan to do with the house and grounds, which include many large shade trees, a view of the Northumberland Strait, and a large barn from the 1940s which they'd also love to restore someday. They might rent it out as a venue for events like weddings, or keep it in their family— they have three children — for when guests come to visit. Walsh said she and her husband might move into it too. They're planning for the renovations to be complete in the spring or summer, but she's not rushing anything. "For me the biggest thing is just to be very present in the moment with a project like that — you can't look at the big picture, because it becomes super overwhelming," Walsh said. She said she considers one project at a time, like painting a room, and tries to enjoy it. More from CBC P.E.I.
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated and more than a dozen have been killed in recent days in flooding on Indonesia's Borneo island, officials said Sunday. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Raditya Jati said floods brought by intense rains caused floodwaters as high as 3 metres (10 feet). As of Sunday, 39,549 people had been evacuated and at least 15 had been killed due to floods that affected 10 districts and cities in South Kalimantan province on Borneo island. Separately, five people were killed and 500 others were evacuated after floods and landslides in Manado city in North Sulawesi province on Saturday. One other person was missing. Seasonal rains and high tides in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains close to rivers. The Associated Press
Edmonton tech company Jobber has raised $60 million US in growth financing to help fund research and future growth, but won't take much of a break to savour the success. Sam Pillar, CEO and co-founder of Jobber, told CBC's Edmonton AM this week the company is taking a moment to be happy at the news, but will be getting right back to work. "This financing is going to allow us to really continue doing more of what we have been doing for the last number of years but at a larger scale and with a bigger ambition to build a global technology company," Pillar said Thursday. Jobber provides management software for small home-service businesses like lawn care, HVAC, painting, roofers and residential cleaning. Earlier this week the company announced it had raised $60 million US from existing and new investors. The money will be used for research and development, marketing and reaching more customers. Started in Edmonton in 2011, Jobber has grown to have more than 250 employees and a second office in Toronto. With the new funding, the firm plans to hire another 200 people, both from Edmonton and outside, in the next 12 months. Fast-growing sector Edmonton's tech sector is growing, fuelled in recent years by Jobber and other companies. The sector is leveraging local talent and the strength of its own community, which is small compared to other major Canadian cities. Edmonton Global, an economic development corporation for the Edmonton metropolitan region, says other local tech companies have also had recent success raising funds. They include Drivewyze, which raised $60 million US in minority financing last July; SAM, which raised $3.6 million last May; and Showbie, which raised $5 million last August. Much like what e-commerce company Shopify has done for Ottawa, in terms of being a major employer and transforming the tech landscape of the region, Jobber hopes to achieve in Edmonton, Pillar said. He said building a global tech company is possible anywhere in the world now, but being in a city like Edmonton comes with some challenges. "The ecosystem is less developed and less mature than some of the larger ecosystems," he said. "It's a smaller population mass as well." However, he added that the flip side of that challenge is that a smaller tech ecosystem also means less competition. He also said Edmonton offered a lot of talent coming from the University of Alberta, MacEwan University and NAIT, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. Local talent Talent is the local tech sector's biggest driver, said Lynette Tremblay, vice-president of strategy and innovation with Edmonton Global. "That is the primary driver for a tech company because their most important capital is human capital," Tremblay said. "Wherever the talent is, that's generally where the company is going to want to locate." Tremblay noted that in 2019, RBC ranked Edmonton the best city for Canadian youth to live and work in. In the same year, real estate giant CBRE's research centre ranked Edmonton as one of top 10 Canadian cities — not only for affordability but also for tech jobs, noting that jobs in the sector had increased by 26 per cent in the previous five years. Tremblay said one of the challenges the city faces is that although there is enough talent, there aren't enough companies to hire all the qualified workers. Edmonton Global estimates about 5,000 graduates are leaving the region per year. "So we need to try to retain that talent because that is going to attract the companies," she said. However, talent is also the biggest cost for tech companies, Tremblay said, adding that while petrochemical companies can get tax breaks for machinery, equipment and construction, tech companies have been asking for help to offset the cost of labour. "Jurisdictions we are competing against — Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal — they all have similar incentives in place," she said. "So anything we can do to level the playing field, helps us." 'Tight-knit' community Besides talent from post secondary schools, Edmonton's start-up community thrives because of support from within, said Lauren Briske, interim director at Startup Edmonton. "It is a tight-knit community," Briske said. "There're lots of people kind of willing to, kind of open doors for people that are taking a chance on entrepreneurship, taking a chance on taking their ideas to market." Companies like Jobber are dedicated to growing and supporting Edmonton's start-up community as well, she said. "Tons of their team members actively mentor early-stage companies."
The founder of Fredericton's River Stone Recovery Centre would like to see the city set up a designated tent city for homeless people. Until there are more permanent housing options for the city's homeless population, Dr. Sara Davidson said it's the best "quick-fix" scenario. But it needs to happen fast, she said. "At this moment, right now — this year, this week — this is what I feel is the best solution." Davidson said it's important to view this as a temporary, emergency approach to Fredericton's homeless problem. "I would never want there to be a permanent tent city because that would mean that we have completely failed our population of the most vulnerable people." "With a nimble environment and big hearts on board, I'm hoping that this could get some legs and start to take off soon." - Dr. Sara Davidson She said it's certainly better than what currently exists. A designated tent city would allow officials to keep better track of homeless people. For example, if there was an outbreak of COVID-19 in the city's homeless population, contact tracing would be a lot easier if officials knew where to find people. "If we can't find people because they're scattered — they're interacting with each other [and] they don't have the luxury of being able to self isolate anywhere," Davidson told Information Morning Fredericton on Friday. Last year, with the use of Fredericton High School as a shelter, Davidson said officials at least knew where to look for people. The disadvantages of not having a more permanent location goes beyond contact tracing and living in constant fear of being forcibly moved along, she said. "People are missing medical appointments. They're missing CT scans I try to organize to track down how their cancer is doing. They're missing their mental health appointments. They're losing their wallets. They're losing access to their medications." Davidson said the idea for a designated tent city came to her out of "desperation." She said she would lie awake at night and wonder how to best help the city's homeless. While there are all kinds of ideas being discussed, she said "we're not going to get there fast enough." People are already sleeping outside in the cold. Her conversation on CBC radio was the "first robust" public conversation she's had and she was encouraged by the comments of fellow panelist and Fredericton city councillor, Kate Rogers. Rogers, who is part of a national working group, said other cities are contemplating setting up designated tent cities. "That is a very legitimate option," said Rogers, who also chairs the city's affordable housing committee. But she's not sure whether the idea will fly in Fredericton, where tents continue to be removed and people continue to lose their belongings. "I'm not certain of that. But the discussions have been happening," said Rogers. And she's encouraged to see other community leaders, "who maybe would not have thought that was the best option three years ago," consider tent cities as a potential solution. Davidson hopes the public discussion will spark some interest in the idea among community groups and leaders. "I imagine I'll be sending some emails this weekend and trying to continue the conversation to see what steps would need to be taken … With a nimble environment and big hearts on board, I'm hoping that this could get some legs and start to take off soon." She believes a designated tent city would ultimately save the city "a lot of time and energy" by avoiding the constant dismantling of the sites and moving people along. Joan Kingston, the chair of Fredericton's Community Action Group on Homelessness, has seen one of Canada's largest tent cities — one located in Vancouver's Strathcona Park, "and it's not ideal," she told Information Morning. Last month, the city of Vancouver released a strategy to move homeless people out of the park. Officials want to use local hotels as accommodation for the 300 people who were tenting in the city park. No timeline has been presented, but once the campers have been moved out, the camp space will be fenced off for remediation. The Strathcona location sprang up last June after the city of Vancouver dismantled two other locations.
WASHINGTON — The lead prosecutor for President Donald Trump's historic second impeachment began building his case for conviction at trial, asserting on Sunday that Trump's incitement of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol was “the most dangerous crime" ever committed by a president against the United States. A Senate trial could begin as soon as this week, just as Democrat Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., did not say when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will send the single article of impeachment against Trump — for “incitement of insurrection” — to the Senate, which will trigger the beginning of the trial. But Raskin said “it should be coming up soon” as Pelosi organizes the formal transfer. The House voted to impeach Trump last Wednesday, one week after the violent insurrection that interrupted the official count of electoral votes, ransacked the Capitol and left Congress deeply shaken. Before the mob overpowered police and entered the building, Trump told them to “fight like hell” against the certification of Biden's election win. “We're going to be able to tell the story of this attack on America and all of the events that led up to it,” Raskin said. “This president set out to dismantle and overturn the election results from the 2020 presidential election. He was perfectly clear about that.” Democrats and the incoming administration are facing the challenge of reckoning with the Capitol attack at the same time that Biden takes office and tries to move the country forward. They say the Congress can do both, balancing a trial with confirmations of the new president's Cabinet and consideration of his legislative priorities. Raskin said Congress cannot establish a precedent where “we just want to let bygones be bygones” just because Trump has left office. Yet it's clear that Democrats do not want the Senate trial to dominate Biden's opening days. Pelosi on Friday said that Democrats intend to move quickly on Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID aid and economic recovery package to speed up vaccinations and send Americans relief, calling it “matter of complete urgency.” Ron Klain, Biden's incoming White House chief of staff, said he hopes Senate leaders, on a bipartisan basis, “find a way to move forward on all of their responsibilities. This impeachment trial is one of them, but getting people into the government and getting action on coronavirus is another one of those responsibilities.” It is unclear how many Senate Republicans — if any — would vote to convict Trump. Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is telling his caucus that their decision on whether to convict the outgoing president will be a “vote of conscience.” His stance, first reported by Business Insider, means the GOP leadership team will not work to hold senators in line one way or the other. McConnell is open to considering impeachment, but said he is undecided on how he would vote. He continues to hold great sway in his party, even though convening the trial this week could be among his last acts as majority leader as Democrats prepare to take control of the Senate with the seating of two new Democratic senators from Georgia. For Republican senators, the trial will be perhaps a final test of their loyalty to the defeated president and his legions of supporters in their states back home. It will force a further reevaluation of their relationship with Trump, who lost not only the White House but majority control of the Senate, and a broader discussion about the future of the Republican Party as he leaves office. Some GOP senators are already standing by Trump, despite their criticism of his behaviour. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the president's most loyal allies, said impeachment was a "bad, rushed, emotional move” that puts the presidency at risk and will cause further division. He said he hopes every Senate Republican rejects impeachment. “Please do not justify and legitimize what the House did,” Graham said. A handful of Republican senators have suggested they will consider conviction. Two of them, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, have said he should resign. Murkowski said the House responded “appropriately” with impeachment and she will consider the trial arguments. No president has ever been convicted in the Senate, and it would take a two-thirds vote against Trump, a high hurdle. But conviction is not out of the realm of possibility, especially as corporations and wealthy political donors distance themselves from Trump's brand of politics and the Republicans who stood by his attempts to overturn the election. Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, was spotted at the White House Saturday and told ABC he was likely going to join Trump’s impeachment defence team. He suggested he would continue to spread baseless claims of election fraud on the Senate floor. Trump campaign spokesman Hogan Gidley moved to distance Trump from Giuliani’s comments, tweeting: “President Trump has not yet made a determination as to which lawyer or law firm will represent him for the disgraceful attack on our Constitution and democracy, known as the 'impeachment hoax.' We will keep you informed.” There was not widespread fraud in the election, as has been confirmed by a range of election officials and by William Barr, who stepped down as attorney general last month. Nearly all of the legal challenges put forth by Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges. Trump is the only president to be twice impeached, and the first to be prosecuted as he leaves the White House, an ever-more-extraordinary end to his tenure. A precedent set by the Senate in the 1800s established that a trial can proceed even after a federal official leaves office. Trump was first impeached by the House in 2019 over his dealings with Ukraine, but the Senate voted last year to acquit. Ten Republicans joined all Democrats in the 232-197 impeachment vote on Wednesday, the most bipartisan modern presidential impeachment. When his second trial does begin, House impeachment managers say they will be making the case that Trump’s incendiary rhetoric hours before the attack on the Capitol was not isolated, but directly intended to interrupt the electoral count as part of his escalating campaign to overturn the November election. A Capitol Police officer died from injuries suffered in the attack, and police shot and killed a woman. Three other people died in what authorities said were medical emergencies. Raskin and Klain were on CNN's “State of the Union,” and Graham appeared on Fox News Channel's “Sunday Morning Futures.” ___ Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report. Lisa Mascaro And Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press
Health Canada should revise its cannabis regulations to let producers differentiate themselves from competitors and explain their products to consumers.
The company that bought the ammonium nitrate which exploded in Beirut last August had possible links to two Syrian businessmen under U.S. sanctions for ties to President Bashar al-Assad, according to a report by a Lebanese journalist and London company filings. Savaro Ltd, the trading firm which procured the chemicals in 2013, shared a London address with companies linked to George Haswani and Imad Khoury, according to the report by documentary film-maker Firas Hatoum, which aired on Lebanon's al-Jadeed TV station this week. Haswani, Khoury and his brother Mudalal Khoury have all been sanctioned by Washington for supporting Assad's war effort.
From a distance, the shelves at 174 Water St., lined with rows of brightly coloured packaging, look similar to any other boutique candy store. Look a little closer, however, and the subtle differences become clear. Prawn-flavoured chips, Japanese iterations of familiar snack-brand logos, unfamiliar flavour combinations and perhaps a cherished childhood treat long since forgotten about: these are the specialties of UnderGround Snax. With humble beginnings in Nova Scotia, the company recently moved into a Water Street storefront. Despite a growing number of shuttered business lining the downtown strip — not to mention the pressures of the ongoing pandemic — UnderGround Snax's first brick-and-mortar location in St. John's seems to be catching on with the city's sweet-toothed residents. Founder Evan Humber was on his couch one night in 2019 when the idea of a boutique snack store first came to mind. He quickly set up a social media presence and began taking and placing orders. "It literally just started with an idea," said Humber. "I was literally at home one night once I came up with the Instagram name, and I started posting some photos of the products that I'm getting in." That night, says Humber, people began to engage right away, and soon he had an emerging business on his hands. "I just placed a little order, and once it arrived, it sold [out] instantly," said Humber. "So I got more, and it kind of snowballed to what it is today." Eventually, Humber decided that it was time to make the jump from a social-media based enterprise to UnderGround Snax's first physical location. With long-term dreams for broad expansion, Humber says that there was something both obvious and alluring about launching in Canada's most easterly city. Onward to St. John's Vince Kennedy, from Newfoundland's west coast, was just the island connection that Humber needed to set up their new location, and took the lead on hiring and managing the new store. "I'm kind of a garbage human, man, I like it all really," said Kennedy, trying to pick out a favourite snack from the shelves of the Water Street location. WATCH | Take a look inside UnderGround Snax's new location in downtown St. John's: Kennedy manages the St. John's storefront, which opened last year. Seeing the nostalgia of customers who stumble across a forgotten favourite treat, he said, is a definite perk of the job. "It's cool to see everybody's nostalgia go off on a certain product that might not even mean anything to you," Kennedy said. "But, they might have been five years old and had this candy back home growing up, and like, geez— it's cool to see, man, it's pretty cool to see." Kennedy said that despite everyone's different tastes for snack food, coming together over candy seems to be easy for peckish residents, and with a wide selection of treats there's bound to be something for everyone. With no plans to slow down, and a second location on Quinpool Road in Halifax that opened late last year, the UnderGround Snax team say they'll continue to source an array of new and interesting products. As for which snack is Kennedy's favourite, he said it's a chocolaty twist on an old classic. "It's probably going to have to be the Reese's cupcakes, to be honest. They're like a crazy chocolate snack-cupcake," he said. "Like, you used to get those Hostess cupcakes back in the day that were filled with icing; very similar, but they've got the peanut butter Reese's filling in there — they're pretty stupid." Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
CAIRO — Egypt’s former antiquities minister and noted archaeologist Zahi Hawass on Sunday revealed details of an ancient funerary temple in a vast necropolis south of Cairo. Hawass told reporters at the Saqqara necropolis that archaeologists unearthed the temple of Queen Neit, wife of King Teti, the first king of the Sixth Dynasty that ruled Egypt from 2323 B.C. till 2150 B.C. Archaeologists also found a 4-meter (13-foot) long papyrus that includes texts of the Book of the Dead, which is a collection of spells aimed at directing the dead through the underworld in ancient Egypt, he said. Hawass said archaeologists also unearthed burial wells, coffins and mummies dating back to the New Kingdom that ruled Egypt between about 1570 B.C. and 1069 B.C. They unveiled at least 22 burial shafts up to 12 metres (40 feet) deep, with more than 50 wooden coffins dating back to the New Kingdom, said Hawass, who is Egypt’s best known archaeologist. Hawass, known for his Indiana Jones hat and TV specials on Egypt’s ancient sites, said work has been done at the site close to the Pyramid of Teti for over a decade. The discovery was the result of co-operation between the Antiquities Ministry and the Zahi Hawass Center at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The Saqqara site is part of the necropolis at Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis that includes the famed Giza pyramids as well as smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh. The ruins of Memphis were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1970s. In recent years, Egypt has heavily promoted new archaeological finds to international media and diplomats in the hope of attracting more tourists to the country. The vital tourism sector suffered from years of political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The Associated Press
Small groups of right-wing protesters — some of them carrying rifles — gathered outside heavily fortified statehouses around the country Sunday, outnumbered by National Guard troops and police brought in to prevent a repeat of the violence that erupted at the U.S. Capitol. As darkness fell, there were no reports of any clashes. Security was stepped up in recent days after the FBI warned of the potential for armed protests in Washington and at all 50 state capitol buildings ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday. Crowds of only a dozen or two demonstrated at some boarded-up, cordoned-off statehouses, while the streets in many other capital cities remained empty. Some protesters said they were there to back President Donald Trump. Others said they had instead come to voice their support for gun rights or decry government overreach. “I don’t trust the results of the election,” said Michigan protester Martin Szelag, a 67-year-old semi-retired window salesman from Dearborn Heights. He wore a sign around his neck that read, in part, “We will support Joe Biden as our President if you can convince us he won legally. Show us the proof! Then the healing can begin.” As the day wore on with no bloodshed around the U.S., a sense of relief spread among officials, though they were not ready to let their guard down. The heavy law enforcement presence may have kept turnout down. In the past few days, some extremists had warned others against falling into what they called a law enforcement trap. Washington State Patrol spokesman Chris Loftis said he hoped the apparently peaceful day reflected some soul-searching among Americans. “I would love to say that it’s because we’ve all taken a sober look in the mirror and have decided that we are a more unified people than certain moments in time would indicate,” he said. The security measures were intended to safeguard seats of government from the type of violence that broke out at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, when far-right Trump supporters galvanized by his false claims that the election had been stolen from him overran the police and bashed their way into the building while Congress was certifying the Electoral College vote. The attack left a Capitol police officer and four others dead. More than 125 people have been arrested over the insurrection. Dozens of courts, election officials and Trump’s own attorney general have all said there was no evidence of widespread fraud in the presidential race. On Sunday, some statehouses were surrounded by new security fences, their windows were boarded up, and extra officers were on patrol. Legislatures generally were not in session over the weekend. Tall fences also surrounded the U.S. Capitol. The National Mall was closed to the public, and the mayor of Washington asked people not to visit. Some 25,000 National Guard troops from around the country are expected to arrive in the city in the coming days. U.S. defence officials told The Associated Press those troops would be vetted by the FBI to ward off any threat of an insider attack on the inauguration. The roughly 20 protesters who showed up at Michigan’s Capitol, including some who were armed, were significantly outnumbered by law enforcement officers and members of the media. Tensions have been running high in the state since authorities foiled a plot to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last year. At the Ohio Statehouse, about two dozen people, including several carrying long guns, protested outside under the watchful eyes of state troopers before dispersing as it began to snow. Kathy Sherman, who was wearing a visor with “Trump” printed on it, said she supports the president but distanced herself from the mob that breached the U.S. Capitol. "I’m here to support the right to voice a political view or opinion without fear of censorship, harassment or the threat of losing my job or being physically assaulted,” she said. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said he was pleased with the outcome but stressed that authorities "continue to have concerns for potential violence in the coming days, which is why I intend to maintain security levels at the Statehouse as we approach the presidential inauguration.” Utah's new governor, Republican Spencer Cox, shared photos on his Twitter account showing him with what appeared to be hundreds of National Guard troops and law enforcement officers standing behind him, all wearing masks. Cox called the quiet protests a best-case scenario and said many ”agitating groups" had cancelled their plans for the day. At Oregon's Capitol, fewer than a dozen men wearing military-style outfits, black ski masks and helmets stood nearby with semiautomatic weapons slung across their bodies. Some had upside-down American flags and signs reading such things as “Disarm the government.” At the Texas Capitol, Ben Hawk walked with about a dozen demonstrators up to the locked gates carrying a bullhorn and an AR-15 rifle hanging at the side of his camouflage pants. He condemned the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and said he did not support Trump. “All we came down here to do today was to discuss, gather, network and hang out. And it got blown and twisted completely out of proportion,” Hawk said. At Nevada's Capitol, where demonstrators supporting Trump have flocked most weekends in recent months, all was quiet except for a lone protester with a sign. “Trump Lost. Be Adults. Go Home,” it read. More than a third of governors had called out the National Guard to help protect their capitols and assist local law enforcement. Several governors declared states of emergency, and others closed their capitols to the public until after Biden's inauguration. Some legislatures also cancelled sessions or pared back their work for the coming week. Even before the violence at the Capitol, some statehouses had been the target of vandals and angry protesters during the past year. Last spring, armed protesters entered the Michigan Capitol to object to coronavirus lockdowns. People angry over the death of George Floyd under a Minneapolis police officer's knee vandalized capitols in several states, including Colorado, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin. Last last month, crowds in Oregon forced their way into the Capitol in Salem to protest its closure to the public during a special legislative session on coronavirus measures. Amid the potential for violence in the coming days, the building's first-floor windows were boarded up and the National Guard was brought in. "The state capitol has become a fortress,” said Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney, a Democrat. “I never thought I’d see that. It breaks my heart.” ___ Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri in Columbus, Ohio; Gillian Flaccus in Salem, Oregon; Mike Householder and David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan; Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina; Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Washington; Sam Metz in Carson City, Nevada; Marc Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report. David A. Lieb And Adam Geller, The Associated Press
This workweek will kick off with what's fabled to be the most depressing day of the year, during one of the darkest eras in recent history.Experts say Blue Monday may be a little more than a marketing gimmick, but the pseudo-scientific concept speaks to the real struggles weighing on Canadians between the doldrums of winter and the pandemic's second wave.But the national CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association says one of the best salves for this contagion-fuelled seasonal slump is as simple as getting up on your own two feet."Our physical well-being really impacts our mental well-being," Margaret Eaton said. "There is a very well documented connection showing that increasing your physical activity definitely impacts your mood."There's no evidence to support the notion that the third Monday of January is the glummest date on the calendar, but Eaton said the concept of Blue Monday may especially resonate this year.In a spring survey of more than 1,800 participants, 84 per cent of Canadians reported that their mental health had worsened since the outbreak hit, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada.Eaton suspects that moods haven't improved as the COVID-19 crisis has dragged on, and with the onset of seasonal affective disorder, she said many Canadians are contending with a potent confluence of psychological stressors.The weather is getting colder. The holidays are over, and bills are coming due. Many jurisdictions are tightening restrictions to curb soaring COVID-19 case counts. It's been nearly a year since people have been able to safely socialize with their friends.And forget about those New Year's resolutions to go to the gym. That's not even an option in many parts of the country. Some people are also indulging in "temporary fixes" such as food and alcohol to distract themselves from the dolor of the pandemic, Eaton said, rather than engaging in diversions that have been proven to lift people's spirits."Canadians are not turning to physical activity to help with their mental health," said Leigh Vanderloo, an exercise scientist with non-profit Participaction. "There seems to be a disconnect. We know it helps, but we don't necessarily do it."According data collected by Participaction, Canadians are more likely to cope with the anxieties of life under lockdown through sedentary activities, such as increased screen time, rather than by getting active.But research suggests that all it takes is a single bout of physical activity to release neurochemicals that lift one's mood, Vanderloo said.You don't have to commit to an intense training routine or invest in expensive equipment to see the benefits of exercise, she said. The key is to find an activity you enjoy, whether that's a stroll outdoors or a brief dance break.Vanderloo said it's also important to spend a few minutes moving for every hour you spend sitting. She encouraged desk dwellers to find ways to sneak in steps during the workday, such as pacing while on phone calls.The key is consistency, said Vanderloo, and in such uncertain times, an exercise routine can offer some much-needed structure."It might take a little bit of trial and error. But there's certainly an activity out there for everyone."This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2020. Adina Bresge, The Canadian Press
The demonstrations in Siliana and other cities began after a video posted on social media showed a police officer shouting and pushing a shepherd whose sheep entered the local government headquarters.View on euronews
Montreal police say they have arrested a 23-year-old man after his mother was fatally stabbed early Sunday morning. Const. Jean-Pierre Brabant said police were called to an apartment on Gilford Street in the city's Plateau neighbourhood just after 1:30 a.m. That is where they found the 49-year-old woman, who was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries but later died. The man was arrested at the scene. He was taken to hospital to undergo a psychological evaluation. Members of the Montreal police forensic identification unit were dispatched to the scene.
German pharmaceutical giant Bayer is examining whether it can help CureVac to produce its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, its chief executive was quoted as saying on Sunday. "We are prepared to pull out all the stops for this," Werner Baumann told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. "This is not primarily about financial considerations but about making the vaccine available as quickly as possible."
