text:
What we are watching in Canada …
OTTAWA — Canada is targeting Russia’s defence industry with its latest round of sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says the new measures impose restrictions on 33 entities in the Russian defence sector.
She says the organizations have provided support to the Russian military — directly or indirectly — and are therefore complicit in the pain and suffering stemming from Vladimir Putin’s unjustifiable war in Ukraine.
The measures usher in asset freezes and prohibitions on listed entities including the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Integral SPB and Shipyard Vympel JSC.
Following Russia’s attack that began Feb. 24, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 700 individuals and entities from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Canada has levied sanctions on more than 1,100 individuals and entities.
“Canada has always and will always stand by Ukraine,” Joly said in a statement. “Today’s measures are the latest example of our unwavering support for Ukraine and its people.
“We will continue to support the brave men and women fighting for their freedom, and we demand that those responsible for atrocities be held accountable.”
Also this …
Trudeau expected to make an announcement on electric vehicle infrastructure
VICTORIA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to be in Victoria today.
He is expected to make an announcement highlighting investments in electric vehicle infrastructure.
The federal budget tabled last week placed a heavy emphasis on transitioning to the green economy, with new investments in critical minerals and metals, expanding the availability of zero-emission vehicles and charging stations.
The new national emissions reduction plan added a goal this month that one in five new cars sold be zero emissions by 2026, and by 2030, the target is 60 per cent.
That is up from the 50 per cent goal the Liberals set less than a year ago.
Trudeau is also expected to meet with Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps later in the day.
And this …
REGINA — Christine Enns said she was shocked when a rapid test showed she had tested positive for COVID-19.
Enns, who received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine and a booster shot, already had the virus in early February and thought reinfection was rare.
“I started feeling sick three to four days ago thinking, ‘This feels like COVID.’ I took five tests and … today it came back positive,” the bakery owner said Friday from her home in Warren, Mba., about 45 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
“It did come as a surprise to me because of all the things I put in place to not get it. Now that I had it twice, I don’t feel quite as invincible.”
Reinfection of COVID-19 was considered unusual, but then the Omicron variant arrived.
“Because Omicron is so different, previous infection doesn’t protect you,” Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, said last week.
He said public health data suggests up to 10 per cent of infected Canadians who have recently had BA.2 — a sub-variant of Omicron — previously had BA.1 or a previous infection, like the Delta variant.
This aligns with recent studies done in England that suggest 10 per cent of reported cases are reinfections.
“That shows just because you got Omicron once doesn’t mean you’re bulletproof now,” Shahab said.
What we are watching in the U.S. …
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla CEO Elon Musk won’t be joining Twitter’s board of directors as previously announced.
The tempestuous billionaire remains Twitter’s largest shareholder.
Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted the news, which followed a weekend of Musk tweets suggesting possible changes to Twitter, including making the site ad-free.
Nearly 90 per cent of Twitter’s 2021 revenue came from ads.
Agrawal didn’t offer an explanation for Musk’s apparent decision, although he dropped one major hint.
The Twitter board “believed having Elon as a fiduciary of the company, where he, like all board members, has to act in the best interests of the company and all our shareholders, was the best path forward,” he wrote.
What we are watching in the rest of the world …
KYIV, Ukraine — A showdown looms in Ukraine after Russia appointed a new military commander and looked to concentrate its attacks in the east, while Ukraine’s president said his troops will hold their ground, urging Western leaders, in particular President Joe Biden, to do more.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Sunday in a nightly address that this week will be as crucial as any during the war, saying “Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state.”
Ukraine’s fate as the war shifts south and east depends on whether the United States will help match a surge in Russian weaponry, he said.
“To be honest, whether we will be able to (survive) depends on this,” Zelenskyy said in a “60 Minutes” interview. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need.”
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer was due to meet today in Moscow with Putin, after meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Austria, a member of the European Union, is militarily neutral and not a member of NATO.
More than six weeks of war in Ukraine has flattened cities, killed untold thousands and isolated Moscow economically and politically, and experts say the next phase of the battle may begin with a full-scale offensive that could determine the course of the conflict.
Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on the capital, Kyiv, was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders. Britain’s Defense Ministry says Russia is trying to compensate for mounting casualties by recalling veterans discharged in the past decade.
Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing war crimes against civilians, including airstrikes on hospitals, a missile attack that killed at least 57 people at a train station and other violence.
In entertainment …
TORONTO — The directors of “Scarborough” say the suburban drama’s standout showing at the Canadian Screen Awards is a testament to the east Toronto community that made it possible.
The book-to-screen adaptation collected three marquee prizes at Sunday’s televised bash, including best picture, making it the top film winner with a grand total of eight trophies over the weeklong celebration of cinema, television and digital media.
Leading the TV winners was CTV’s “Transplant,” which cleaned up the drama categories.
The medical show won best drama series and acting honours for leads Hamza Haq and Laurence Leboeuf, for an overall haul of eight prizes.
CBC’s gender-fluid millennial dramedy “Sort Of” nabbed best comedy series, clinching a total of three trophies for its inaugural season.
Another big winner on Sunday’s awards broadcast was CBC’s “Kim’s Convenience,” which saw stars Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Jean Yoon respectively named best lead actor and actress in a comedy series.
The prize for best feature-length documentary went to “Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy” from filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers from the Kainai First Nation.
Tailfeathers was also recognized for performing talents as best lead actress in “Night Raiders,” adding a sixth award to the Indigenous thriller’s collection.
Did you see this?
OTTAWA — The federal government has announced $100 million in additional humanitarian support to respond to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement Saturday during a social media fundraiser.
“Whether it’s food, water, shelter, or medical aid — we will continue to have your backs and provide the assistance you need at this time,” Trudeau said in a statement. “We are standing up for Ukraine.”
With Saturday’s announcement, Canada has provided $245 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Of that, $145 million has been allocated to United Nations organizations, the Red Cross Movement, and to non-governmental organizations.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told reporters that Canada has already approved more than 30,000 applications under the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel program.
Repeating an announcement made in March, Fraser said Canada is exempting more Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion from providing biometrics before coming to Canada.
He said Canada won’t require biometrics from people under the age of 18, over the age of 60, and those with previous Canadian visas that have no immigration issues.
As well, Ukrainians arriving in Canada will be eligible for two weeks of temporary hotel accommodation and up to six weeks of income support.
Fraser said the income support will be $500 per week. He said many of the people arriving have family or other connections in Canada, so it’s unclear how many will need the temporary accommodations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Apr. 11, 2022

domain: politics


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When you buy a mobile phone, you know that in a matter of time, it wThe average consumer it will very quickly become obsolete as its manufacturer releases newer, shinier, and more amped up versions of the same device. As your device grows older, issues start to crop up — your smartphone may slow down to a point where it is almost unusable, or your gaming console may require one too many hard resets.
When this happens, you are cooped up into a corner, either forced to upgrade and go through the same cycle again, or you are left at the mercy of manufacturers who make repairs inaccessible for most, by dictating who can fix your device and making it wildly expensive.
So, why aren’t consumers permitted to fix their gadgets themselves? This is a question advocates of the worldwide ‘right to repair’ movement have been addressing for decades now. In recent years, countries around the world have been attempting to pass effective ‘right to repair’ laws. But it is no surprise that the movement has faced tremendous resistance from tech giants such as Apple and Microsoft over the years.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling on the Federal Trade Commission to curb restrictions imposed by manufacturers that limit consumers’ ability to repair their gadgets on their own terms. The UK, too, introduced right-to-repair rules that should make it much easier to buy and repair daily-use gadgets such as TVs and washing machines.
The goal of the movement is to get companies to make spare parts, tools and information on how to repair devices available to customers and repair shops to increase the lifespan of products and to keep them from ending up in landfills.
They argue that these electronic manufacturers are encouraging a culture of ‘planned obsolescence’ — which means that devices are designed specifically to last a limited amount of time and to be replaced. This, they claim, leads to immense pressure on the environment and wasted natural resources.
Right to repair advocates also argue that this will help boost business for small repair shops, which are an important part of local economies. If a manufacturer has monopoly on repairs, then prices rise exponentially and quality tends to drop, they say.
Which side do you stand on? Steve Wozniak, one of the biggest names behind the creation of Apple, made it clear that he does not have the same viewpoint as the tech giant he helped create in 1985.
“It’s time to recognize the right to repair more fully,” he said in a recent video message on Cameo. “This one has really gotten to me – really affected me emotionally,” Wozniak said. “We would not have had Apple had I not grown up in a very open technology world.”


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The Hashtag That Saved A Soccer Club
By Martin Rogers
If you believe sports are just games, that games are justslices of entertainment, that the fans being entertained are just spectators, the teams they are watching are just groups of athletes and franchises are just businesses, then perhaps stop now, right here, because this probably isn’t the story for you.
“This is not a sports story,” Columbus Crew fan Morgan Hughes told me via telephone this week. “This is an everything story.”
Saturday’s MLS Cup final (8:30 p.m. ET on FOX) between the Columbus Crew and the Seattle Sounders is the culmination of a drastically altered season, the showpiece of Major League Soccer’s 25th year, a battle between two of the best teams in the league and, for supporters of the hosting Crew, the ultimate reminder of everything they have – and what they almost lost.
It became an everything story for Hughes on Oct. 16, 2017, when the Crew’s then-owner Anthony Precourt announced that he was moving the organization to Austin, Texas, and away from Central Ohio. This was no small matter. Over the previous two decades, Columbus had become a de facto home for the American soccer soul. Now it was being wiped off the MLS map.
The Crew liked to boast about being the first MLS franchise – in truth, it was one of 10 founding members when the league was formed in 1996, but the first to have the requisite 10,000 season ticket deposits required for entry eligibility. United States vs. Mexico qualifying games have been played there before the last five World Cups, not just because of the frosty weather but the passion of the local support.
Hughes, a diehard since the team was formed during his teenage years and a local small business owner, thought of the friends he had made and would no longer see, the camaraderie, the history erased. He got hurt, got angry, and finally, after blasting Tom Petty at full volume and deciding something had to be done, fired off a Tweet which included a hashtag that would become a rallying cry heard around the world.
There has been a book written about the year that followed and it is too long, complex and detailed a journey to cover in its entirety here. Yet the abridged version is that the #SaveTheCrew movement gained extraordinary traction due to the lobbying efforts of a group of fans desperate to cling to their team.
They held rallies, raised funds, begged city officials and lawmakers for support and basically did everything feasible and plenty more to show potential investors that Columbus was a market – and that the Crew had a level of following – that was worth their time and cash.
Their plight generated sympathy from soccer fans as far flung as Australia and Belarus, because while loyalties are different, losing a team is the one nightmare that crosses all sporting divides.
Somehow, in defiance of the simple truth that money talks with deafening amplitude, it worked. Precourt ultimately sold his stake to a group made up of Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam and Columbus’ Edwards family. MLS approved the deal on the condition that a new stadium close to downtown would be built (it opens next year).
Hughes received the news while on a trip to Ikea with his now-wife and celebrated by sitting on a showroom toilet and laughing uncontrollably.
“It happened because it was real,” Hughes said. “It was a group of people saying ‘no, this is too good and too special to take away.’ When you have that much passion and people who are determined for their voice to be heard and who believe as much as we all did, you have a chance of making great things happen.”
Austin will still get a team which starts in 2021, a campaign that may begin with the Crew as league champions for the second time. According to FOX Bet, Columbus is currently listed at +187 heading into Saturday's MLS Cup final, while Seattle is at +135.
The Crew will be facing an uphill battle as they will be without two of their top players, Darlington Nagbe and Pedro Santos, who both recently tested posittive for COVID-19 and are not medically cleared to play in the game.
With #SaveTheCrew having become #SavedTheCrew, the Columbus players know what they are representing is now something that goes beyond the typical narrative of a sports organization.
“We fight for them,” midfielder Artur said. “We fight for us, but also we want to make them proud. For sure we are going to do everything to win the game, to be champions and to give happiness to them.”
Artur hails from Northern Brazil but settled happily in the Columbus area, learned English to an impressive fluency and became a fan favorite. Club captain Jonathan Mensah, from Ghana and with career stops in South Africa, Italy, Spain, France and Russia, has also found some peace and permanence, and rarely passes up the chance to talk about the #SaveTheCrew story.
“They came together and did something incredible that I don’t think any sports market has ever done before,” Mensah said. “It is such an incredible achievement. Even though the club has done so well in the past and continues to do well, that was one significant victory for the club, community and the city. They fought so hard for us off the field, all we can do is also fight on the field for them.”
Saturday could have been a sporting blockbuster in Columbus, with the final on the same day that Michigan-Ohio State hit the schedule, before the latest edition of the epic Big Ten rivalry was called off due to COVID-19 issues.
Only 1,500 fans will be allowed for the MLS showpiece, determined by a lottery system. Hughes and his friends will instead congregate in a parking lot, with a projector screen broadcasting the action, and go black and gold crazy, as always. You see a lot of black and gold in Columbus, something Crew broadcast analyst Jordan Angeli noticed when she took on the job and moved to the city last year.
“This is a different kind of soccer city,” she said. “You see small examples of the passion for the Crew everywhere you go: flags outsides houses, stickers on cars, little things you recognize. It is part of what brings the city together and it has been that way for a long time.”
For MLS, getting to the end of the current campaign following everything 2020 has brought is a feat in itself and the final brings no shortage of intrigue. The Sounders are the defending champions and seeking to create a dynasty. Columbus wants to repeat its mightily impressive 2008 title, spearheaded by Argentinean star Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
Across sports, no one is quite sure what the benefit of hosting really means where there are no, or few fans in attendance, but consider this ... Columbus has won 12 of 13 games at Mapfre this campaign.
What is certain is that home advantage is only possible if you have a home, and whatever happens on Saturday, the truth will linger that Columbus’ greatest triumph has already been enshrined.
Without it, this weekend and any golden days that follow, would not be possible. “We’ve won,” Hughes added. “Because we are here.”

domain: sports


text:
Dogs No Dogs
Commonly Backpacked · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife
Backcountry permits are required for camping in North Cascades National Park. Stop by a ranger station to reserve one.
A valid Recreation Pass is required for vehicles at the trailhead.
The trail starts at the Hannegan Campground. The route follows the Ruth Creek Valley through a second-growth forest, which then opens to sweeping views of the local craggy peaks. After a relatively flat first mile, views start to open up to Ruth Mountain as the trail passes through avalanche shoots. In early summer, waterfalls cascade down the steep cliffs of Mt. Sefrit and Nooksack Ridge.
The trail climbs gently for the next 2.5 miles towards Hannegan Pass. A half mile below the pass, a spur to the right leads to Hannegan Camp
. Continue to the left up steep switchbacks through a sub-alpine forest.
At the pass, the Hannegan Peak Trail ascends steeply to the left and an unmaintained mountaineering route leaves to the right towards Ruth Mountain and Icy Peak. Continue straight, descending into the North Cascades National Park one mile from Hannegan Pass. The popular Copper Ridge Trail
leaves to left adjacent to the Boundary Campsite Spur
Leaving behind most people, the trail switchbacks steeply down through a lush forest following the Chilliwack River. The trail passes over the roaring Copper Creek at 7.3 miles and passes Copper Creek Campground. The trail becomes a more gentle descent following the Chilliwack River Valley.
At US Cabin Camp
, the trail opens up, passing through large avalanche shoots before crossing the Chiliwack River at 11 miles. The route then gently climbs to the intersection with the Brush Creek Trail
and Chilliwack Trail
which lead to Whatcom Pass, Easy Ridge, and eventually Ross Lake.
Shared By: Sarah Baker

domain: travel


It's been a week since the doors for the Geneva Motor Show opened, and they still are until this Sunday. The big theme this year is eco-friendliness, but with a twist. The twist is fun! With cars like the Volvo Polestar 1 and Honda EV concept cars, it seems like manufacturers have finally realized that people want cars that are eco friendly, but also fun. There's plenty of other interesting non-EV and non-hybrid cars as well, but 10 have stood out more than others. Hope you approve of the list.
It's a well-known fact that the Lamborghini Aventador makes a great noise. But when you give it an aftermarket Kreissieg exhaust, it sounds even better. It also spits flames like no other. Enjoy.
Lamborghini have released details on a new version of their Gallardo supercar, and it’s called the LP 570-4 Squadra Corse.
Lamborghini is marketing the new Gallardo Squadra Corse as a road version of the Gallardo Super Trofeo race car, and it is set to debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The name Squadra Corse is in tribute to Lamborghini’s recently-formed department that oversees all of its racing activities in Europe, North America, and Asia.
A concept car and an open-top supercar are this week’s standout cars, coming in the form of a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster and the Mercedes Benz Ener-G-Force concept car.
The 2012 Paris Motor Show is currently the place to be if you want you to see how exciting the future of motoring is going to be. You have the usual mix of concept cars, new car debuts, etc. But after looking at what the show has to offer, SOC has come up with a list of cars that stand out more than others.
Opel Ampera/Chevy Volt
Apart from winning the 2012 Car of the Year award, it’s a plug-in hybrid car that looks good too. The specs? It has a 150hp electric motor along with 370Nm of torque, with a claimed range of up to 80km (50miles) on a fully charged battery pack. Its 1.4-litre engine is there only to power a generator when the battery range is low (the engine doesn’t send power to the wheels at any time) – which then extends the range to 500km. It is expensive though – prices start at CHF 52,900 (around $57,000) in Switzerland.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
The F12 Berlinetta drew a huge crowd on press day. It was easily one of the most anticipated cars of the show – and with 740hp, it’s easy to see why. Its 6.3-litre V12 engine is the most powerful of any Ferrari road car, which definitely makes it a standout car. However powerful the engine might be, the design might divide opinion – looking a bit similar to the FF at the front. However, all is certainly forgotten as you approach its 212mph top speed.
The 2012 Geneva Motor Show is anything but short of exciting new cars. There are far too many cool cars to have them all posted here, but with more than 100 photos, it's more than just a taste of what the show has to offer. Make sure you come back next week for the ultimate standouts of the show.
If you’re a car enthusiast, people close to you might have asked you “why do you like cars so much?” And chances are you weren’t able to give them a direct answer. There are many things that make us tick when in comes to a car; the design, the quality, the noise it makes, the history, the performance, etc. But occasionally we get other things, like flames shooting out of the exhaust. If like me, the sight of flames (the real kind, no flamethrower kits here) coming out of the exhaust causes the caveman in you to come out, then you’ll enjoy checking out these videos of awesome flame spitters.
It's just a matter of time before Youtube is full of Avetador videos, but for now, this short video disproves early comments that the new Lambo sounds "weak". Enjoy.
Well, it’s finally here, the Lamborghini we’ve all been waiting for – the Aventador LP700-4.
Currently being shown to the public at the Geneva Motor Show, the Aventador is the official replacement for the Murcielago, which has been Lamborghini’s flagship model for nine years. The Aventador is named after a Spanish fighting bull that was awarded the “Trofeo de la Peña La Madroñera” for the courage it displayed at the Saragossa Arena in October 1993.
The name also hints at the power the Aventador produces. Its brand new naturally-aspirated 6.5 litre V12 produces 700 hp at 8250 rpm and 509 lb ft (690 nm) of torque at 5500 rpm. An all wheel drive system continues to provide traction to the flagship Lambo, an electronically controlled Haldex system that distributes power accordingly to the front and rear tyres. There is also a self locking rear differential, while the front has a differential that’s controlled by the ESP system.