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Scientist accused of developing Syria’s chemical weapons program traced to Edmonton - globalnews.ca - Canada - Syria
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Scientist accused of developing Syria’s chemical weapons program traced to Edmonton
sarin into the rebel-held Ghouta district of Damascus.As the chemical clouds spread, residents began to froth at the mouth. Fluid oozed from their eyes and noses as they convulsed and suffocated.The Ghouta gas attack killed up to 1,400 people, many of them children, and was the latest display of the horrors of chemical warfare.Ten years later, Global News has traced a scientist accused of helping Syria develop its chemical weapons program to an Edmonton suburb.De-classified Canadian government documents allege that Ahmad Haytham Alyafi made a “significant contribution to the manufacturing of chemical weapons.”From 1974 to 1994, the chemical engineer worked at the military-run centre that produces chemical weapons for the Syrian regime, federal officials wrote in the documents.Alyafi “set up a plant he knew would manufacture chemical weapons; he therefore contributed significantly to their production,” according to the documents, which call his role “indispensable.”But when rescue workers were collecting bodies in Ghouta a decade ago, Alyafi was living in a 2,500-square-foot home on a cul-de-sac in Edmonton’s west end, the records show.“Mom and dad have been living with us at our house in Edmonton since the spring of 2013,” Alyafi’s son wrote in a 2019 letter sponsoring his parents for permanent residence in Canada.“My dad picks up the kids from school daily and they spend time with them on homework after school time,” wrote the son, who works in the Alberta construction industry.Immigration records from 2019 list the Syrian scientist as “currently residing in Canada.” The address he used was a four-bedroom home in Edmonton’s Glastonbury neighbourhood.Whether he remained in Edmonton was unclear.
Michael White - Edmonton man Michael White, convicted of killing pregnant wife, gets full parole - globalnews.ca - Canada
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Edmonton man Michael White, convicted of killing pregnant wife, gets full parole
Parole Board of Canada granted Michael White full parole in late May.“Given your assessed low risk, employment stability and your demonstrated abilities to live a law-abiding lifestyle the board does not find that your risk would be undue on an expanded form of conditional release,” the board said in a written decision.“Therefore, full parole is granted.”White was convicted in 2006 of second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a dead body in the death of his wife.Liana White was four months pregnant with the couple’s second child when she was fatally stabbed in July 2005.She was reported missing after her SUV was discovered in a park near the White home in northwest Edmonton.In the days that followed, White held a high-profile news conference outside the family’s home on Warwick Crescent in the Dunluce neighbourhood and organized searches for her body.It was during one of those searches that White and Liana’s mother found her badly decomposed body in a ditch near St. Albert.The parole board noted that Michael White had disposed of his wife’s body and “cleaned up” evidence from his crime.During his trial, police tesified officers who had been following White saw him retrieve two garbage bags from an area on the city’s outskirts two days after his wife’s disappearance; he later putting them out for garbage pickup.Investigators instead collected the bags and found they contained clothing, paper towels and latex gloves that had Liana White’s blood on them, as well as a broken lamp and other items.
Bank of Canada’s rate decision looms. Will the hot economy push it to hike? - globalnews.ca - Canada
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Bank of Canada’s rate decision looms. Will the hot economy push it to hike?
Bank of Canada’s interest rate pause is set for its toughest challenge yet on Wednesday as policymakers weigh whether another hike is needed to quell a resilient economy and push inflation down further.While money markets and some economists say that another hike is in the cards for this week’s interest rate decision, those who spoke to Global News argue the central bank is better off waiting to move off the sidelines and signalling a possible increase later this summer.The Bank of Canada’s rate hike campaign has been on a “conditional pause” since March, following eight consecutive increases that raised the central bank’s policy rate to 4.5 per cent, up from the lows of 0.25 per cent seen through much of the pandemic.The central bank said it could remain on pause as long as data continued to show the economy was cooling enough to bring inflation back down to its two per cent target, which has been forecast to reach in 2024.The rate increases to date have raised the cost of borrowing for Canadians and their banks in an effort to cool the economy and take some of the steam out of inflation, which reached 40-plus-year highs in 2022.Inflation has declined significantly, though Statistics Canada’s headline reading ticked back up slightly to 4.4 per cent in the latest consumer price index report for April from March’s 4.3 per cent.The economy, meanwhile, has proved hotter than the Bank of Canada’s estimates: gross domestic product (GDP) was higher than forecast in the first quarter of the year, and expectations of a pronounced slowdown haven’t yet materialized.Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at CIBC Capital Markets, tells Global News that the economy can only run unchecked for so long before a flurry of spending drives prices
Justin Trudeau - Nova Scotia - Jonathan Wilkinson - Canada could hit ‘record levels’ of area burnt by wildfires this year - globalnews.ca - Canada - city Ottawa
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Canada could hit ‘record levels’ of area burnt by wildfires this year
wildfire season this year, government officials are warning.Nine provinces and territories are battling blazes that have forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 people across the country since early May, officials said in an update Monday.New modelling released Monday shows that the risks of wildfires is set to increase this month and remain “unusually high” throughout the summer in Canada, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said.“Every province and territory will need to be on high alert throughout this wildfire season,” he told reporters, saying that additional firefighting resources will be required moving forward.“While this is not yet Canada’s most severe fire season, if this trajectory continues, it very well could be.”Since the start of the year, 2,214 wildfires have already burned 3.3 million hectares of land – which is “10 times” the normal average for the season, Wilkinson said.As of June 4, more than 400 active fires were burning across the country, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported.Ottawa is giving federal assistance to at least three provinces – Alberta, Nova Scotia and Quebec.The Canadian military as well as hundreds of international firefighters are on the ground giving a much-needed helping hand to local emergency teams.Despite the “very serious projections”, Canada is expected to have enough resources to cover the summer months, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.“If things get worse, we ..
Nova Scotia - Rainy forecast could offer some relief for crews battling N.S. wildfires - globalnews.ca - Canada
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Rainy forecast could offer some relief for crews battling N.S. wildfires
wildfires in Nova Scotia — including the largest wildfire ever recorded in provincial history — could get some welcome relief Friday with rain in the forecast.Environment Canada forecasts a 60 per cent chance of showers Friday, with rain beginning in the evening. Periods of rain are also expected for the next few days.Officials have said the hot, dry weather seen so far this wildfire season is making it easier for the fire to spread and harder for crews to fight.David Steeves, a technician of forest resources with the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, said while a smattering of rain seen earlier Friday morning was “really welcomed,” it “wasn’t enough to be really significant.”He said the amount that fell Friday morning would only have a small effect on the “fine fuels” — such as leaves, twigs, and other things littering the forest floor.“The precipitation that we received this morning would buy us a few hours, but we will take that advantage right now,” Steeves said, noting that the moisture is quickly evaporating.“We are hopeful that we are going to receive additional, precipitation which will only help our cause,” he said.“We are going to continue to monitor the weather very, very closely, and just keep our fingers crossed for any type of precipitation that’s hopefully going to come our way before too much longer.”Dave Meldrum, deputy chief with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, said he’s “never been so happy to see rain as I was this morning.”“I’m sure many people across the region feel the same way,” he said.
Wild bodycam video shows car sent soaring after hitting tow truck ramp - globalnews.ca - Georgia - county Lowndes
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Wild bodycam video shows car sent soaring after hitting tow truck ramp
Dukes of Hazzard scene, a Georgia police officer caught on video the moment a speeding driver hit the ramp of a tow truck’s flatbed and took off, soaring and flipping through the air.The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office shared the incredible footage captured on an officer’s bodycam, who was responding to an unrelated crash scene on May 24.In the video, deputies are seen conducting a traffic stop arrest on the side of a highway, when a grey Nissan Altima comes speeding toward the tow truck, which has its ramp lowered.Without slowing down, the Altima hits the ramp and is launched, clearing the cab of the tow truck and flying high into the air.State patrol estimates the car flew about 36 metres over the tow truck, flipping upside down, before it crashed down on its roof, hit another car and rolled several times before coming to a stop.It’s unclear whether the 21-year-old driver of the car pulled off the stunt intentionally. Police did not provide an estimate of how fast she was driving when she approached the tow truck.However, police confirmed that she was seriously injured and taken to hospital while her 30-year-old passenger was treated for minor injuries.Authorities told local publication Valdosta Daily Times that there was an empty car seat in the rear of the vehicle and that deputies searched the area to make sure an infant had not been ejected.In Georgia, as with most places in North America, there exists a “move over law,” which requires drivers to shift lanes when approaching emergency responders and rescue vehicles.
Nova Scotia - Bill Blair - Canadian military to help fight Nova Scotia wildfires amid ‘unprecedented’ season - globalnews.ca - Usa - Canada - city Ottawa - South Africa
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Canadian military to help fight Nova Scotia wildfires amid ‘unprecedented’ season
wildfires as the eastern province, like other parts of the country, faces a “dangerous” season this year.International firefighters are also coming into the country to help with Canada’s “unprecedented” wildfire situation with blazes in eight jurisdictions promoting the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.Federal ministers made the announcement at a news conference in Ottawa Thursday, expressing concern about the early onset of the wildfire season and the ongoing risks to Canadians.Nova Scotia is the second province to receive federal assistance for wildfires this year after Alberta, where a provincial state of emergency is in effect.Last night, we approved the Request for Federal Assistance from the Government of Nova Scotia for support with wildfire response efforts in the province, including @CanadianForces personnel and resources.— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) June 1, 2023“As of this morning, I can confirm that we have approved a request for assistance from the province of Nova Scotia that we received yesterday,” Blair said.Canadian Armed Forces will aid provincial emergency management officials with planning and coordination supports, ignition specialist personnel and equipment, and other firefighting resources.“These additional firefighting resources will be used to relieve firefighters who’ve been working tirelessly around the clock to protect communities right across Nova Scotia,” he said.In addition, more than 300 firefighters from the United States and South Africa are heading to Canada in the coming days.Federal officials say at least 100 U.S.
Joe Biden - Kevin Maccarthy - Debt ceiling and spending bill passes U.S. House, clearing major hurdle - globalnews.ca - Usa
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Debt ceiling and spending bill passes U.S. House, clearing major hurdle
debt ceiling while cutting government spending, clearing a crucial bar with bipartisan support as Congress races to avert a federal default.With some Republicans voting against the measure over concerns the hard-fought compromise didn’t go far enough, it took Democrats — some of whom had their own concerns and also voted no — to secure the majority needed to send the bill to the Senate, which is set to hold its own vote later this week.The goal is to get the bill signed by President Joe Biden before Monday, when the U.S. Treasury says it will run out of money to pay its debts.Ever since the deal between House Republicans and the White House emerged over the weekend, lawmakers in both parties have urged members to vote for it despite their misgivings, assessing it was better than the alternative of devastating economic upheaval.In the end, 117 House members — 71 Republicans and 46 Democrats — voted against the package.Tensions rose earlier Wednesday when Republican support lagged on a procedural vote, but the package ultimately sailed ahead once Democrats — after waiting until it was clear Republicans didn’t have the votes on their own — unleashed their own votes in a show of bipartisan support.Quick approval by Congress would ensure government checks will continue to go out to Social Security recipients, veterans and others, and would prevent financial upheaval at home and abroad.
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