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Tom Cochrane, Steven Page recall Gordon Lightfoot’s influence on Canadian music

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

TORONTO — Gordon Lightfoot left a lasting impression on music fans and some Canadian musicians say his influence on the country’s collective identity is immeasurable.Rock singer Tom Cochrane described Lightfoot, who died Monday at 84 years old, as a personal friend and inspiration who proved himself as one of Canada’s “seminal cultural artists” while being “a heck of a nice guy” all the while.Cochrane twice honoured the “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown” singer-songwriter for his musical contributions – the first time was when he inducted Lightfoot into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.At that ceremony, he compared Lightfoot to one of the Group of Seven artists, a compliment Cochrane says resonated with the folk musician who “saw himself genuinely as the cultural embodiment of who we are as a nation.”A representative for Lightfoot’s family says he died of natural causes at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. He had suffered numerous heal...

Fishers crabby over Japan’s Russian imports, but Tokyo says Canada exports negligible

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

OTTAWA — Atlantic fishers are feeling the pinch as Japan brings in cheap Russian product rather than Canadian snow crabs, with federal ministers and provincial premiers saying they are raising the issue with Japanese officials.But Tokyo is pushing back on claims that its trade decisions are undermining G7 sanctions — or that they are having much of an effect on the Canadian industry.Snow crab prices have dropped in Newfoundland and Labrador from $7.60 per pound at the start of last year’s season to an opening price of $2.20 this year. Fishers in the province have refused to start harvesting this year as they scramble to sell off last year’s surplus, although the price could still rise.Analysts say crab is a lucrative species for Atlantic Canada, and it was the country’s second-largest seafood export in 2021. Market prices hit record highs during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but began plummeting last year.The United States blocked sales from Russia to punish t...

Some 35,000 CRA workers continue strike as tentative deal reached with Treasury Board

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

Talks are set to resume between the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency, as some 35,000 CRA employees continue to walk the picket line.PSAC tweeted Monday evening that the two sides had met throughout the day and late into the night, without an agreement.Earlier in the day, the CRA said in a statement that the agency and the union had resumed in-person negotiations, with “a view to reach a new collective agreement as soon as possible, that is both fair to employees and reasonable for taxpayers.”The country’s largest federal public-sector union announced early Monday morning it had reached deals with the government covering more than 120,000 public servants across the country and bringing them back to work after a 12-day strike.The tentative agreements came after the Treasury Board, which oversees the administration of the federal government, tabled what it described as a “final offer” on Friday.They include 11.5 per cent wage...

Canadians targeted ‘more aggressively’ by fraud calls than Americans, study suggests

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

TORONTO — A new study suggests there’s been an uptick in phone scams in Canada, such as those involving federal agency impersonation or air duct cleaning.A report released Tuesday by Seattle-based Hiya, which aims to protect phone users from spam through its voice security platform, found 6.3 per cent of unwanted calls received by Canadians in the first three months of the year were considered fraud, compared with 5.9 per cent in the final quarter of 2022.Unwanted calls include those that are legal, such as sales calls concerning a service the recipient has subscribed to, as well as two illegal types: scams involving an outright lie, and those where a product does exist, but the recipient didn’t request it.Canada lags behind the United States, the study found: the average Canadian received three spam calls per month in the early part of the year, compared with 14.5 in the United States. But Canadians were on the other end of a much higher proportion of fraud-related call...

Serbia, Kosovo leaders in EU-backed talks to normalize ties

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo meet in Brussels on Tuesday to continue talks on the implementation of a European Union-backed 11-point plan to normalize ties between the two, but tensions continue to simmer.EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will convene the high-level meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. They are expected to endorse a declaration on missing persons and also discuss the first draft statute on the creation of an association of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo — two delicate issues for the former war foes. The meeting follows one in February when both leaders gave tacit approval to the EU-sponsored plan to end months of political crises, and a March summit in North Macedonia where Belgrade and Pristina tentatively agreed on how to implement the plan.Miroslav Lajcak, Borrell’s envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, said Tuesday’s meeting is “a crucial step forward...

Daily horoscope for May 2, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

Moon Alert: After 2:30 a.m. EDT today, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The Moon is in Libra.Happy Birthday for Tuesday, May 2, 2023:You are organized, direct and practical. You believe in working for results. You are perceptive and have an innate understanding about human nature. This is a year of change, which can be exciting. Expect to travel. Stay light on your feet so you can act quickly.ARIES(March 21-April 19)★★★A discussion with a partner or close friend will be intense today; however, it also might be one of those discussions that clears the air. Naturally, they’re not easy, because it’s hard to keep your shirt on when you want to get something off your chest. Tonight: Tidy home.TAURUS(April 20-May 20)★★★You might encounter opposition or resistance from others at work if you try to introduce reforms or better ways of doing something. You have ideas, and you believe in them. (You might be just as earnest about an idea to improve your ...

Don't shut door on foreigners or migrants, Pope Francis says in Hungary

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

Pope Francis on Sunday (30 April) presided over a big outdoor Mass where he urged Hungarians not to close the door on migrants and those who are "foreign or unlike us", in contrast to the anti-immigrant policies of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.More than 50,000 people gathered in and around the square behind Budapest's iconic neo-gothic parliament building, a symbol of the capital on the Danube, to see the pope on the last day of his visit to the country.He continued a theme he began on the first day of his visit on Friday, when he warned against the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe, but put it in gospel context, saying that closed doors were painful and contrary to the teachings of Jesus.Orban, a populist who was attending the Mass, sees himself as a protector of Christian values. He has said he would not allow Hungary to be transformed into an "immigrant country", as he claims others in Europe have become, unrecognizable to its native peoples.In his homily, 86-yea...

Miss Manners: I thought she had been hacked but she really sent me this message. Now what do I do?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Donation request platforms are becoming ever more popular. Sadly, many families rely on these online fundraising campaigns for medical bills and other very valid needs. However, I find myself becoming a little cynical and exasperated with repeated posts and requests.For example, a family I know is raising money for a trip to another city for their daughter’s medical procedure but also shares posts about their family vacations to Disney.Usually, I just choose whether to give or not, and don’t think twice. But I recently received a personal message from a friend whose fund I donated modestly to in the past. She messaged me that she has more than $600 in medical expenses coming up, that she had created a fundraiser and that any amount would help.I was taken aback by the manner of the request, and since my friend hadn’t posted anything about it, I thought her account had been hacked. I reached out to her and asked if her account was compromised. She ...

Best Crypto Casinos for High Rollers (2023): Top 10 High-Stakes Bitcoin Casinos for Big Bets & Payouts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

Sponsored ContentYou’re not a high-roller if you’re not playing at the best high-stakes crypto casinos with the biggest bet limits, huge payouts, and VIP programs designed for whales.They are pretty rare, however – but that’s what we’re here for.We’ve ranked the top crypto casinos for high-rollers based on their bet size, payout limits, high-stakes casino games, and withdrawal speed.Our experts found BitStarz to be the overall best choice thanks to its massive 5 BTC welcome package, an immense collection of high-stakes slots and table games, and an exciting loyalty program.Read on to see how they all stack up.Best Crypto Casinos for High RollersBitStarz: Best overallIgnition: Best high-limit live blackjack gamesSuper Slots: Big withdrawal limitsFlush: Best weekly racesBovada: Top pick for crypto bettingRed Dog: Most generous bonuses7Bit: Best for high-stakes crypto jackpot slotsMbit Casino: Biggest daily cashbackSlot Madness: Best for slotsWild.io: Biggest BTC welcome packageHeads u...

Dear Abby: Can I tell my son-in-law’s mother how he needs to change?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My daughter’s marriage is falling apart. Her husband has not worked during their six-year marriage.He drinks and uses tobacco to mask what I believe are depression, anxiety and other emotional issues. They have two young children, and my daughter cannot get through to him.I’d like to contact his mother and express to her that until he gets some kind of professional help to deal with his problems, nothing will change.I want him and their marriage to be a success. My daughter and grandchildren deserve it.I don’t want to cause problems with his family, but until they face the facts, this marriage is doomed. Would I be overstepping by contacting his family?PROACTIVE MOTHER IN THE WESTRelated ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: She defied me and hung out with this sleaze, and now she says I’m in the wrong Advice | Dear Abby: The reason her fiance hid his phone was something she never guessed Advice | Dear Abby: I have ...