Author: Warren Gerard Bishop

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Canada’s government made a new contract offer to the country’s biggest public workers union Friday as thousands of federal employees remained on strike for a 10th day. The office of Treasury Board President Mona Fortier called it a “comprehensive offer” but provided no details. The Public Service Alliance of Canada, which had said Wednesday that negotiations were stalemated, confirmed receiving the offer, but did not comment on what it contained. “We hope to continue bargaining this weekend in order to reach a fair deal,” the union said in a statement. The government previously had offered to…

OTTAWA, April 28 (Reuters) – The Canadian economy grew less than expected in February from the previous month and is seen shrinking in March, data showed on Friday, figures that back up the central bank’s plans to keep interest rates on pause. February gross domestic product gained 0.1%, less than the 0.2% increase forecast by analysts, after an upwardly revised 0.6% expansion in January, Statistics Canada said. March GDP was most likely down 0.1%, Statscan said in a preliminary estimate. The flash estimate for March, which may change when a final tally is released next month, means the economy likely…

VIVA World – The ISIS group has a stronger presence in Afghanistan than the previous year following the withdrawal of United States troops in August 2021, said the US general for the Middle East, Thursday, March 23, 2023. Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee, commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM ) General Michael ‘Erik’ Kurilla said: “Now ISIS is stronger in Afghanistan.” “Are we looking at working with ISIS in Afghanistan and other elements, such as in Syria and Europe?” Republican Congressman Mike Waltz asked Kurilla. “ISIS is a global organization. They have an organization called the Al-Siddiq…

Former President Donald Trump addressed his supporters in Texas on Saturday as he faces a possible indictment. “If we don’t win this next election, 2024, I truly believe our country is doomed,” Trump said. “I think it’s doomed. Prosecutorial misconduct is their new tool, and they are willing to use it at levels never seen before in our country.” The rally at Waco Regional Airport was billed by his team as the first of his 2024 campaign, though he’s held smaller events in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina since launching his White House bid back in November. It was Trump’s…

TORONTO (AP) — A public commission announced Friday that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government met the “very high threshold” for invoking the Emergencies Act to quell the protests by truckers and others angry over Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions last winter. For weeks, hundreds and sometimes thousands of protesters in trucks and other vehicles clogged the streets of Ottawa, the capital, and besieged Parliament Hill, railing against vaccine mandates for truckers and other COVID-19 precautions and condemning Trudeau’s Liberal government. Members of the self-styled Freedom Convoy also blockaded various U.S.-Canadian border crossings. And police arrested 11 people at the blockaded border…

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization covering public education in communities across America. Subscribe to our free Tennessee newsletter to keep up with the Shelby County public school system and state education policy. When House Speaker Cameron Sexton recently floated the idea of Tennessee rejecting U.S. education dollars to free its schools from federal rules and restrictions, he made the pivot sound as simple as making up the difference with $1.8 billion in state funds. “I don’t think the legislation would be too hard to do,” he said last week after publicly declaring his desire to “do things the Tennessee…

The Navy will no longer consider COVID-19 vaccination status for the deployment of its sailors, according to new guidance released this week. “Commanders should seek advice from medical providers regarding medical readiness of personnel to inform deployment and other operational mission decisions. COVID-19 vaccination status shall not be a consideration in assessing individual service member suitability for deployment or other operational missions,” the guidance states. The development comes after the Pentagon formally rescinded its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops in January when President Joe Biden signed into law a massive defense spending bill that required the measure’s termination. But the…

Head of rights body says military has shown ‘consistent disregard’ for duty to protect civilians Nearly two years after Myanmar’s military coup, the country has plunged into catastrophe, the UN rights chief says, calling for the military to be brought under civilian oversight.Since the coup that toppled the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb 1, 2021, Myanmar has “by nearly every feasible measurement, and in every area of human rights … profoundly regressed,” Volker Turk said in a statement. “Despite clear legal obligations for the military to protect civilians in the conduct of hostilities, there has been…

Asian shares were mostly higher Friday after Wall Street benchmarks fell on worries that the U.S. Federal Reserve will keep raising interest rates. Markets rose in Japan, Australia, South Korea and China in muted trading. Oil prices rose. Hot readings on the U.S. jobs market Thursday got traders thinking the Fed will need to keep inflicting pain on the economy to fight surging prices. Inflation has been easing from a peak of 9.1% in June to 7.1% in November and investors have been hoping for signs that could prompt the Fed to ease up on applying the brakes to the…

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A ridge of high pressure extends from Siberia to mainland Alaska, where it will continue to generate deep cold in the Interior with extremely low wind chills to match. A low pressure system spins over the Aleutians with another in the Gulf of Alaska. The dueling winter weather systems are producing strong winds, and a variety of winter storm warning conditions including cold temperatures, blowing snow, low wind chills and heavy snowfall. Even a mix of rain and snow can be found over the Aleutians. Wind chills in Interior locations will drop to 55 to 65…