Saturday, August 29

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US election: Women will pick the winner
World News

US election: Women will pick the winner

By Laura Walters of Issues like abortion are becoming increasingly important for women this election. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP Analysis - "They're both wrong," the 80-year-old Arizonan says. But Kamala Harris will probably win because she's been strong on a woman's right to access abortions, she says. The mother, who doesn't want to be identified "because I'll probably be too honest", believes Harris is bad for the economy, for job creation, for businesses, and for the country's fuel security. But there's something she cares about more: a woman's right to make choices about her own body. "You can try to put your thoughts in my head, but stay the hell out of my pants." Listening-in is a young mother, with two young children underfoot. "I've always liked Trump,"...
Mother of Canadian detained in Syria ‘exhausted’ as Supreme Court rejects case – National
Politics

Mother of Canadian detained in Syria ‘exhausted’ as Supreme Court rejects case – National

The mother of a Canadian man detained in Syria says the Supreme Court of Canada has signed her son’s death warrant by closing the door on a plea to hear his case. “I’ve been screaming about this for 7 1/2 years now,” said Sally Lane, the mother of Jack Letts. “I’m exhausted. I just want my son back.”The Supreme Court had already declined to hear a challenge of a Federal Court of Appeal ruling that said Ottawa is not obligated under the law to repatriate Letts and three other Canadian men.In a fresh notice filed with the court in March, lawyers for the men said exceedingly rare circumstances warranted another look at the application for leave to appeal.A letter to the lawyers, dated last Friday, says the motion for reconsideration cannot be accepted for filing, leaving no further remedies i...
The horse, the prep, the race itself – how the tactics of winning the Melbourne Cup evolved
World News

The horse, the prep, the race itself – how the tactics of winning the Melbourne Cup evolved

By Andrew McGarry, ABC News Jockey Glen Boss steers Makybe Diva (R) to a record-breaking third consecutive victory in Australia's premier race, the Melbourne Cup run at the Flemington course, in Melbourne 1 November 2005. Photo: AFP / WILLIAM WEST If you want to talk to someone who knows about riding the winner of the Melbourne Cup, Kerrin McEvoy is not a bad place to start. His first ride came in 2000, when the then-20-year-old jockey from Streaky Bay in South Australia took on Australia's most famous race on Brew. It did not start off that well. "It was quite bizarre because I picked up the ride on the Saturday and I was pretty happy to pick up the ride because he (Brew) dropped from 58 kilos down to 49 and he only won on the Saturday to get a spot in the race," McEvoy says. "Anywa...
‘I’m pissed’: Alberta premier, oil and gas industry slam Ottawa’s new emissions cap
Politics

‘I’m pissed’: Alberta premier, oil and gas industry slam Ottawa’s new emissions cap

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith did not mince words over Ottawa’s new greenhouse gas emissions cap announced Monday. “I’m pissed — I’m absolutely angry,” Smith said at a news conference.“We’ve been working with these guys for two years because we have a plan that would reduce emissions responsibly by 2050 and they continue to act like they are working collaboratively with us — then they come out with exactly same policy they put forward a year ago, with no changes whatsoever and then trying to mislead the public about the true intent.”The Alberta premier said the cap violates Canada’s constitution, explaining Section 92A gives provinces exclusive jurisdiction over non-renewable natural resource development, “yet this cap will require a one million barrel a day production cut by 2030.”Smith ...
Elon Musk’s $1 million voter giveaway gets green light
World News

Elon Musk’s $1 million voter giveaway gets green light

By Jack Queen, Reuters SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk awarded Kristine Fishell with a US$1 million check. Photo: AFP / Getty Images / Michael Swensen A state judge has allowed Elon Musk's US$1 million-a-day giveaway to swing state voters to proceed in Pennsylvania with one day to go before the tightly contested US presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, Musk's favoured candidate. Pennsylvania Judge Angelo Foglietta's decision came after a surprising day of testimony in Philadelphia state court in which Musk's aides acknowledged hand-picking the winners of the contest based on who would be the best spokespeople for his super PAC's agenda, despite the billionaire's assertion that they would be chosen randomly. Tesla CEO Musk has already given aw...
Conservative MP wants to reverse new rules for natural health products – National
Politics

Conservative MP wants to reverse new rules for natural health products – National

By David Cummings The Canadian Press Posted November 4, 2024 3:15 pm 2 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size A Conservative MP wants Parliament to undo changes made by the Liberals last year that brought natural health products under the same regulations as pharmaceuticals. The new rules mean Health Canada can demand that stores pull products such as supplements and homeopathic medicines off their shelves if they are found to be a health risk, and impose bigger fines on companies that don’t comply with regulations.Alberta Conservative MP Blaine Calkins is seeking to reverse the changes entirely in a pr...
UNRWA: Israel ends agreement with main aid provider in Gaza | World News
Business

UNRWA: Israel ends agreement with main aid provider in Gaza | World News

Israel has ended an agreement that facilitated the work of the main United Nations relief organisation for Palestinian refugees.UNRWA, which is the biggest aid provider in Gaza, has been infiltrated by Hamas, according to Israel which has accused some of the agency's staff of participating in the 7 October attack in the south of the country. It denies the allegations and says it is a neutral organisation.The Israelis have now officially told the UN they were cancelling the agreement. Image: Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Pic: Reuters/Mohammed Salem The latest move appears to be a step towards severing ties with UNRWA and preventing it from operating in Israel. It has been the main UN relief organisation delivering ...
US election: Why these are the five (or six) states to watch on election night
World News

US election: Why these are the five (or six) states to watch on election night

Analysis by Harry Enten, CNN A voter drops off a ballot at the San Francisco City Hall voting centre, California, on the final day of early voting, on 4 November, 2024. Photo: AFP / Getty Images / Loren Elliot The 2024 presidential election isn't a race for student council president. And it's not just because one of the candidates is 60 years old (Kamala Harris) and the other is about two years shy of 80 (Donald Trump). It's because, as Democrats Hillary Clinton and Al Gore know, the national popular vote does not determine the winner. The only thing that matters is getting to 270 electoral votes through the Electoral College. This year, if you know the winner(s) in these five states - Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and perhaps a sixth, Arizona - you'l...
A U.S. election poll in Iowa is making waves. Can it predict the race? – National
Politics

A U.S. election poll in Iowa is making waves. Can it predict the race? – National

A new U.S. election poll that shows U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump in the traditionally Republican state of Iowa has sent shockwaves through the presidential race just before Election Day on Tuesday. But experts are still warning that the race overall is so close that no single poll — even from a source as reputable as Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, using a different methodology than others — can accurately predict what may happen on Nov. 5.“This is one poll, in one state, at one moment in time,” said Samara Klar, a polling expert and political science professor at the University of Arizona.“It’s certainly interesting and will be looked back on with some interest (after Election Day), but we still can’t predict what will happen.”The Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll r...
Can air pollution lead to obesity? Experts answer
Health

Can air pollution lead to obesity? Experts answer

Poor air quality may not only spike respiratory, cardiac, and mental health issues but can also lead to weight gain and obesity -- a precursor to several diseases, said doctors on Monday, even as the national capital saw worse pollution levels. On Monday, Delhi`s air quality further plummeted with the Air Quality Index (AQI) surpassing 400 in multiple parts of the national capital, placing it in the `severe` category. Areas including Anand Vihar (433), Ashok Vihar (410), Rohini (411), and Vivek Vihar (426) registered AQI levels above 400, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Other regions like Dwarka, Patparganj, Jahangirpuri, and Punjabi Bagh also recorded `severe` AQI levels. Different studies have proven that an increase in PM10 & PM2.5 leads to an increase i...