WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s real-time confrontation with Maine’s governor over transgender athletes captured the conundrum many Democratic governors are facing in the Republican’s second term.

Gov. Janet Mills’ vow that she would see Trump in court over his threat to withhold money from the state if it didn’t comply with his executive order delighted Democrats who want more strident pushback. But the dust-up that played out in the open Friday as Trump hosted governors at the White House ticked off a president known to retaliate against people he considers enemies.

Hours after the spat, the federal Department of Education announced it was initiating an investigation into the Maine Department of Education over the inclusion of trans athletes. Trump doesn’t want them playing in girls and women’s sports; Maine law bars discrimination based on gender identity.

“Any time a public interaction like that takes place, it’s coming from a person who’s grounded in their values,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in an interview Sunday. “I love Janet Mills and I appreciate her for standing up. I also know that there’s always a cost that comes with that.”

The Democrats who lead the nation’s most populous states were in Washington for a meeting of the National Governors Association, where they tried to strike a balance between their states’ needs and their feelings about Trump.

Whitmer, known for clashing with Trump during his first term over the federal COVID-19 response, campaigned vigorously against him in 2024 on behalf of Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. Whitmer said she sat next to Trump at a White House dinner on Saturday night.

“I was the only Democrat at the table. I was a little surprised. I think everyone in the room was a little surprised, to be honest,” she said. “But I took the opportunity to talk a little bit about tariffs.”

Michigan and other states could be significantly affected by some of the president’s early proposals. For example, Michigan expects nearly 42% of its budget to come from federal funds and relies heavily on trade with Canada, which now faces potential Trump-imposed trade penalties.

A federal judge is considering a request to block the administration from freezing trillions of dollars in grants and loans, a move that could severely impact states. At the same time, Trump’s key ally, Elon Musk, is pushing to shrink the federal government, with likely ripples nationwide. About 80% of the roughly 2 million people in the federal workforce live outside metro Washington, dispersed across the country.

“I’m very worried that people are going to make make decisions without a real understanding of what the ramifications are going to be for the American public,” Whitmer said. Musk, she said, is “dangerous.”

At discussion panels and news conferences at the meetings, state leaders struck a conciliatory tone.

“We always hope that people can disagree in a way that elevates the discourse and tries to come to a common solution,” said Democratic Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado, the association’s chair, when asked about the Trump-Mills exchange. “I don’t think that disagreement was necessarily a model of that,” he said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., met with Trump for more than an hour on Friday afternoon to discuss Manhattan’s congestion tolling. Trump ordered a halt to the program, a key Hochul priority, and declared in a social media post: “Long live the king!”

Asked about the meeting, Hochul told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that it was “adversarial” and said New Yorkers “need to know I’m willing to take the fight wherever I have to.”

“We’re not going to sit idly by and let our rights be attacked,” she said. “We’ll work with you when there’s common ground, no doubt about it, let’s build great projects and infrastructure. There’s areas where we’re going to work with you on immigration and getting the violent criminals off our streets. We do not dispute that, but don’t think that you can just come in and bully us around and not expect a reaction from governors.”

Whitmer said she had a chance to speak with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in addition to Trump.

“I’ve got to put the people’s interests before my own interests, before my partisan interest. I got a job to do,” said Whitmer, considered a top-tier potential candidate for the 2028 Democratic nomination for president. “So even if it’s uncomfortable, even if, you know, it’s all the all the things you would assume, on a personal level, that’s second to my job as governor.”

Hundreds of miles from Washington, another 2028 contender took a different direction.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, in his State of the State address on Wednesday, compared the Trump administration to the Nazi movement and criticized members of his own party, declaring, “Going along to get along does not work.”

Pritzker’s response resonated with some key voters.

“We didn’t elect Democrats to become collaborators with our oppressors,” said Lori Goldman, founder of “Fems for Dems,” a Michigan-based group focused on voter turnout.

“We are beyond angry and we are organizing against Democrats that sell us out,” she said.

Joey Cappelletti, The Associated Press

The Municipality of Cumberland says RCMP are investigating after an incident involving a volunteer fire department that was responding to a call about a snowmobile crash in which the snowmobile driver died.

If you are a regular transit user, you might be impacted by changes being made to transit services.

Beginning Monday Feb. 24, two major routes will see service changes while 25 trips that were cancelled in 2023 due to staffing shortages will be reinstated.

Route 196, which travels between Halifax and Bedford, will have four additional trips scheduled during peak a.m. and p.m. travel times as part of the Moving Forward Together Plan. The city says the new routing will take advantage of bus-only lanes, to improve on-time performance

Route 10C, travelling between Halifax and Dartmouth, will undergo slight schedule adjustments on Saturdays to allow for an increase in travel time between Scotia Square and Dalhousie University.

While 25 trips that were removed in 2023 have been reinstated, there 17 trips are still removed until further notice. This includes three routes with no service.

There are also four changes to stop locations, including two discontinuations.

Stop 2349 for routes 82 and 182 will be moved to Cobequid Road after Maple Grove Drive. Stops along route 29 at Barrington Street after Green Street (6092) and Barrington Street before Inglis Street (6111) will be discontinued and replaced with a new stop at Barrington Street before Smith Street (2350).

Stops at Barrington Street after Prince Street (6103), impacting routes 1, 7A, 8, 9A/B/ and 10A/B/C, and Kearney Lake Road before Dunbrack Street (7025), impacting route 196, will be discontinued.

A full list of all of the changes can be found on the city’s website.

German voters cast their ballots in Sunday’s election, and early exit poll data shows opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservatives in the lead. It also indicates that Alternative for Germany is heading for the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II.

The election came as Germany and the rest of Europe grapple with the new Trump administration, the Russia-Ukraine war and security across the continent.

Here’s the latest:

Exit polls show Merz leading, AfD making big gains

German exit polls show opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservatives leading in the election, while Alternative for Germany is heading for the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II.

The exit polls for ARD and ZDF public television show Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats on track for their worst postwar result in a national parliamentary election, and expected to be in third place.

The election was dominated by worries about the years-long stagnation of Europe’s biggest economy, pressure to curb migration and growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europe’s alliance with the United States.

Polls will close shortly

Polls across Germany will close at 6 p.m. local time (1700 GMT).

Exit polls are expected to be released immediately afterward.

The candidates for chancellor will also likely address their members at parties across the country.

Pubs among 2,300 polling stations in Berlin

Citizens in the German capital are casting their votes in traditional polling stations like schools, kindergartens, gyms or retirement homes.

But there are also some unusual voting locations in Berlin, local broadcaster RBB reports, including car dealerships, restaurants and pubs.

About 2.43 million people are eligible to vote in the city.

Getting ready to count postal votes

Election workers in Munich are preparing to count postal votes by spreading pink envelopes on a big table.

Letters can be opened starting at 3 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) and the actual count begins at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) when polling stations have closed.

Turnout is 52% hours before polls close

Germany’s election authority says 52% of eligible voters had cast their ballots four hours before polling stations close.

The authority said the figure for turnout by 2 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) didn’t include people who voted by postal ballot. It compares with 36.5% at the same time in the 2021 election, but many people cast absentee ballots in that vote, which took place during COVID-19 restrictions.

Turnout is typically high in German elections. The final turnout figure in the 2021 election was 76.4%.

Colors of a coalition

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition was an alliance of the Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats.

The grouping is known as the “traffic light” coalition because of the combination of red, green and yellow party colors.

The colors of the parties running in Sunday’s election are black (Union bloc), red (Social Democrats), green (the Greens), yellow (Free Democrats) and blue (AfD).

The new government could be a “Kenya” coalition (Union bloc, Social Democrats, the Greens) or a “Germany” coalition (Union bloc, Social Democrats, Free Democrats).

Check out this photo gallery of the election campaign season

More than 500,000 newly naturalized Germans are eligible to vote

Almost a third of the new Germans are originally from Syria. Most of them left their home countries in the last decade, fleeing war, political instability and economic hardship. In 2015-2016 alone, more than 1 million migrants came to Germany, most from Syria, but also from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Since the last national election in 2021, the number of naturalizations in Germany has risen sharply.

For the new Germans originally from Syria, the election is weighted with extra significance. Many of them fled their country because of the civil war that followed former President Bashar Assad’s crackdown on protests calling for greater democratic freedom. He was toppled in November, but whether Syria will now become a democracy remains unclear. In the meantime, they are able to vote in multi-party elections in their new home.

Read more about what five of the newcomers say about voting in Germany

How quickly will a governing coalition be formed?

There is no formal referee for the process of forming a new government, and no set time limit.

Conservative leader and front-runner Friedrich Merz has said he hopes to form a new government by mid-April if he wins.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s outgoing government will remain in office on a caretaker basis until the Bundestag elects the new chancellor.

Read more about Austria’s efforts to form a governing coalition

What is the ‘firewall’ against AfD?

Mainstream German parties say they won’t work with any far-right parties threatening democracy, a postwar stance often referred to as a “firewall.”

That includes the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Sunday’s election.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Munich earlier this month said there is no place for “firewalls,” drawing strong criticism from German leaders.

Read more about the “firewall”

‘Make Germany great again’: Far-right party could see historic gains in Sunday’s election

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party first entered parliament eight years ago on the back of discontent with the arrival of large numbers of migrants in the mid-2010s, and curbing migration remains its signature theme.

But the party has proven adept at harnessing discontent with other issues, too: Germany’s move away from fossil fuels, restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and support for Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.

Read more about AfD’s rise

Bayern great Uli Hoeness speaks out against far right

Bayern Munich powerbroker Uli Hoeness says he would speak with any of the club’s players who support the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Hoeness, Bayern’s honorary president after more than 40 years at the forefront of the club, told Kicker magazine in an interview published Sunday that he would question any AfD-supporting player “and ask him if he still has all his tools in his toolbox.”

Hoeness previously spoke against AfD at a memorial service for Bayern great Franz Beckenbauer, arguing for the continuation of club projects that fight racism and discrimination.

“Bayern is a wonderful role model for migration and integration. More than half of our youth players have a migration background,” Hoeness told Kicker.

Trump’s relationship with Germany

Germany’s next government will be central to Europe’s response to U.S. President Donald Trump and his assertive new administration.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said last month that a second Trump presidency will be “a challenge.”

Far-right leader Alice Weidel has vowed to “make Germany great again” in an echo of Trump’s campaign slogan.

Watch European leaders react to Trump’s victory

Thousands protested against Merz ahead of Sunday’s vote

Tens of thousands of people across Germany in recent weeks have protested against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and conservative front-runner Friedrich Merz for sending to parliament proposals for tough new migration rules that received AfD’s backing.

The demonstrators — and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel — say Merz broke “the firewall” against cooperation with anti-immigrant, far-right parties.

Merz insists his position is unchanged and that he didn’t and won’t work with the party.

Read more about the protests

Conservative leader and front-runner Friedrich Merz casts his vote in German election

Conservative leader and front-runner Friedrich Merz has cast his vote in the German election.

Merz is the leader of the center-right Union bloc, which has by far the best chance of forming a new government.

Merz voted Sunday in Arnsberg in western Germany, just minutes after his main rival, Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He is also facing environmentalist Greens candidate Robert Habeck and far-right leader Alice Weidel in the race for chancellor.

Habeck and Weidel voted early.

Sunday’s election comes as Germany and the rest of Europe grapples with the new Trump administration, the Russia-Ukraine war and security across the continent.

Scholz votes in German election that comes after his governing coalition collapsed

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has voted in a German election that comes after his governing coalition collapsed last year.

Scholz then lost a confidence vote, forcing President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to dissolve the parliament and schedule a new election.

Scholz voted Sunday in Potsdam, a city outside Berlin, and is facing opposition leader and front-runner Friedrich Merz, Vice Chancellor and environmentalist Greens candidate Robert Habeck and far-right leader Alice Weidel in the race for chancellor.

Who is Merz, the front-runner for chancellor?

Friedrich Merz, the current opposition leader, is the front-runner in the country’s election campaign.

His center-right Union bloc is leading polls.

The 69-year-old became leader of the Christian Democratic Union after Chancellor Angela Merkel stepped down in 2021, though he joined the party decades before.

German president votes

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has cast his vote at a polling station in Berlin, according to the German news agency dpa. He is in his second term as president and hails from the center-left Social Democratic Party.

The global importance of this election

Germany is the most populous country in the 27-nation European Union and a leading member of NATO. It will be central to shaping the continent’s response to the challenges of the coming years, including the Trump administration’s confrontational foreign and trade policies.

Leading contenders make final appeals

Merz vowed to revive the stagnant economy and defend Europe’s interests in the face of a confrontational U.S. administration. Scholz, meanwhile, insisted that he still hopes for an improbable last-minute comeback.

Read more about Saturday’s election events

Who can vote?

German citizens aged 18 and up can vote. At least 59.2 million people in the nation of 84 million are eligible, about 2.3 million of them for the first time.

Polling stations are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.

Exit polls will be announced and vote-counting will begin immediately after voting ends. A final official result is expected early Monday.

The candidates for chancellor

Four candidates are bidding to be Germany’s next leader in Sunday’s election.

The candidates are incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz, opposition leader Friedrich Merz, Vice Chancellor and environmentalist Greens candidate Robert Habeck and co-leader of the AfD AfD Alice Weidel.

Polls have opened across Germany

Polls are now open across Germany in an election that could shape Europe’s response to the new Trump administration, the Russia-Ukraine war and security across the continent.

Why is Germany holding an election?

The election comes seven months ahead of schedule following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition in early November.

It’s only the fourth time the Bundestag has been dissolved ahead of schedule following a confidence vote under Germany’s post-World War II constitution.

The Associated Press

KYIV — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is to be in Kyiv on Monday along with a dozen other world leaders as Ukraine marks the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of that country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed during a news conference in Kyiv Sunday evening that he will meet with Trudeau in person, one of 13 foreign leaders attending a summit on peace and security for Ukraine.

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be here with a visit here tomorrow,” Zelenskyy said in Ukrainian.

“He is chairing the G7 at the moment so he will tell me what is happening with the relationship with the U.S.”

The news conference was translated into English by Ukrainian broadcaster UATV.

Trudeau’s office has not responded to queries about the visit Sunday. This is his fourth visit to Ukraine since the war began, and almost certainly his last. He will step down March 9 when a new Liberal leader is elected.

In the same news conference Zelenskyy said he would be ready to give up the presidency if doing so would achieve a lasting peace for his country under the security umbrella of the NATO military alliance.

“If to achieve peace, you really need me to give up my post, I’m ready,” he said.

Responding to a journalist’s question on whether he’d trade his office for peace, Zelenskyy said, “I can trade it for NATO.”

His comment appeared to be aimed at recent suggestions by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that elections should be held in Ukraine despite Ukrainian legislation prohibiting them during martial law.

Trump’s officials have signalled that any agreement to end the war would not include returning Ukraine to its 2014 borders that existed before Russia’s first invasion a decade ago, nor would the country be able to join NATO.

He also has been harshly critical of Zelenskyy, blaming him for doing nothing as “his cities get demolished, as his people get killed.”

Canada has supported Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership.

Monday’s peace summit in Kyiv comes as the United States has been meeting with Russia in an attempt to broker a peace deal — without Ukraine at the table.

In recent days Trump has accused Ukraine of starting the war and appeared to be trying to barter with Ukraine for access to its critical minerals as part of any peace process.

Trudeau has said hat it’s crucial for Ukraine to be part of any peace talks, a point echoed by numerous European leaders, and reiterated by Trudeau in a phone call with Zelenskyy last week.

Trudeau also spoke Saturday with Trump by phone, and both countries said Ukraine was one of the topics of discussion.

Zelenskyy said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and delegates from Nordic and Baltic countries are also attending Monday’s summit in person, and two dozen leaders will join virtually.

“This is an important opportunity to discuss Ukraine’s strategy and the framework for security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said.

The agenda for the meeting is to focus heavily on long-term security and stability for Ukraine, and the co-operation needed from European and other global allies.

On Wednesday, Trudeau participated virtually in a meeting with European leaders convened by French President Emmanuel Macron to come up with a response to Trump’s overtures to Russia.

Earlier on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Russia launched 267 strike drones into Ukraine overnight on Saturday, more than in any other single attack of the war.

Ukraine’s air force said 138 drones had been shot down over 13 Ukrainian regions, with 119 more lost en route to their targets.

Three ballistic missiles had also been fired, the air force said. One person was killed in the city of Kryvyi Rih, according to the city military administration.

The attack came as leaders in Kyiv and across Europe are seeking to navigate rapid changes in U.S. foreign policy under Trump, whose recent words have raised fears that he would join with Moscow to force a settlement to the war without involving Ukraine and its European backers.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister on Saturday said preparations were underway for a Trump-Putin meeting, a further sign that the Russian leader’s isolation, at least for the Trump administration, was beginning to thaw.

Reacting to the latest Russian attacks, however, Andrii Sybiha‎, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the overnight attack “demonstrates that avoiding calling Russia an aggressor does not change the fact that it is one.”

“No one should trust Putin’s words. Look at his actions instead,” Sybiha‎ said in a statement on social media.

One of the biggest questions surrounding any peace deal is how to enforce it, and security guarantees are chief among the topics for discussion Monday.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said on Feb. 18 that Canada wants to be “involved in protecting Ukraine” when the war ends, though Ottawa has not said what that might entail. The British government has said it’s ready to deploy troops to Ukraine to help uphold a ceasefire if one occurs.

Canada has been among the most vocal supporters of Ukraine on the world stage, with Trudeau championing accountability for Russia in global forums.

The federal Liberals say they plan to champion Ukraine’s cause at the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting Canada is hosting in Quebec next month as well as the G7 leaders’ summit this June in Alberta.

Ottawa is a major donor to Ukraine, with the Kiel Institute for the World Economy ranking Canada as fifth in overall allocations in its Ukraine Support Tracker, which span military, financial and humanitarian contributions.

Canada ranks third for the amount of financial allocations of Ukraine, particularly in pledging loans meant to keep the country solvent and providing funding quickly after it is allocated.

But Canada takes the 20th spot for military allocations weighted by population, and analysts have criticized Ottawa for delays in providing equipment sought by Ukraine.

-with files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa, and The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb, 23, 2025.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

A Halifax Regional Municipality councillor is asking the CAO to provide an update regarding the municipality’s buy back rights for the site of the former Bloomfield School in light of a recent fire.

Around 1:35 a.m. of Feb. 18, fire crews were called to the site of the former school on Agricola Street in Halifax’s north end. They discovered a three-alarm fire consisting of a blaze on the first floor and basement.

The response brought 49 firefighters who acted efficiently to control the fire through barricaded windows and doors.

The fire was declared under control at 5:45 a.m., leaving one building destroyed. The fire was kept from spreading to other sections of the former school.

It is still unknown what caused the fire but the catastrophe has led one councillor to question the municipality’s role in the preservation of the site.

The former school site has sat vacant since 2014 and since being bought in 2021 continues to remain vacant.

District 8 Councillor Virginia Hinch is saying information should be provided to council to determine the opportunities available to aggress “the unsatisfactory situation currently occurring on the property”.

If her motion passes, it requests the CAO to present council with a staff report on the options to address the situation at the site while providing options for cost recovery, and to update the municipality on it buy back rights.

The motion will be voted on in council on Feb. 25.

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. A Halifax teacher of the art form and her students put on an exhibit at the Sackville Public Library.

Nova Scotia's police watchdog is investigating after a 25-year-old man died while in Halifax Regional Police custody. The man was Tasered by police when they responded to a call.

A man has died in police custody following a call for service in Fairview Saturday night.

Shortly before 8:00 p.m., officers responded to a residence on Vimy Avenue where they found a 25-year-old man experiencing a mental health crisis.

Police report that the man became aggressive and a taser was deployed. The man was handcuffed and Emergency Health Services (EHS) was called.

Police say the man’s health began to deteriorate while in custody leading to officers beginning life-saving efforts. EHS and Halifax Fire and Emergency continued these efforts upon arrival but the man was pronounced dead a short time later.

An autopsy will be completed by the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service to determine the cause of death.

The incident has now been referred to the Serious Incident Response Team.

EDMONTON — Archpriest Cornell Zubritsky sometimes hears the loud wailing of air raids thousands of kilometres away in Ukraine.

The sirens screech from the cellphones of congregants at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Edmonton.

“A lot of them have the air raid siren app on their phones here in Canada, and it will go off. They do that so that if it’s their city, they get on the phone immediately to see if their relatives are OK,” Zubritsky said in a recent interview.

“For them, this is real. And then it makes it real for me because they’re connected. They are fighting the war every day.”

Zubritsky said most of his 150-person congregation are immigrants from Ukraine. The church’s membership declined during the COVID-19 pandemic but has grown again with families from Ukraine.

Monday marks three years since the Russian invasion. Tens of thousands have been killed.

About 300,000 Ukrainians have come to Canada on emergency visas since 2022.

Zubritsky said some who attend his weekly church service have been losing hope, and they don’t want to hear him talk about what’s happening in their homeland.

“For a few hours at least, they can come … and have a little bit of reprieve of the daily stresses of having your country torn apart,” he said.

“They don’t need reminders. They’re reminded every day. They get texts, they get phone calls.”

Sitting in the church, Snizhana Kshetska said she hasn’t given much thought to the anniversary.

She and her three children, ages 10, 14 and 18, have been in Canada since the war started. Her husband had been in the Ukrainian army but was released last year and joined the family in Edmonton.

“I don’t measure my life like I’m here in Canada one year or three years. For me, it’s awful every day, not like a third anniversary of the starting of this awful war,” she said.

“I think every day it is hard to realize that this happened with us, and nobody helps us to stop this.”

Kshetska said she would like to return to Ukraine someday and be with the friends and family she left behind.

“From my kids, I am not sure,” she said. “I think I will ask them and it will be their choice.”

Zubritsky said he no longer provides just tissues and emotional support for those from Ukraine. He helps them find jobs, deal with landlords and sort immigration issues.

“As if they didn’t have enough to deal with, with a reduced amount of immigration allowed this year, they’re all panicking that Canada is going to kick them out,” he said.

“I come home some days and I have a good cry over the day that I have over just the general plight of all of these people who are here.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2025.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

Lisa Vezeau-Allen says it’s not just Sault Ste. Marie’s steelworkers who are bracing for looming U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

“I was talking to a clerk at a store and they’re like, ‘Oh, I hope I still have my job after the tariffs,'” the NDP candidate in the northern Ontario riding said in a recent interview.

Algoma Steel is her city’s largest employer, said Vezeau-Allen, and the pain of tariffs on a product that has kept the local economy running for generations would be felt across the entire community.

“It’s not even just people in the steel industry. It’s people working retail that are worried about what are they going to do.”

Health care, affordable housing, mental health and addictions are all pressing issues in the north that party leaders have sought to highlight during this month’s snap election campaign, including at a debate specific to northern issues just over a week ago.

But the anxiety around American tariffs — the stated justification for Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford’s snap election call — is undeniably driving the conversation. And the northern cities of Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay, which politicians of all stripes have represented over the past few decades, have become key battlegrounds.

In Sault Ste. Marie, Vezeau-Allen has high hopes for an orange breakthrough after the incumbent Progressive Conservative MPP decided not to run for re-election.

The PCs have held the seat since 2018, and the Liberals, represented in this election by Gurwinder Dusanjh, won four elections in the riding before that. But it was an NDP stronghold from the mid-’80s through 2003, and New Democrats are hoping those roots still run deep.

Vezeau-Allen said she’s finding traction with voters because of her own longtime connections to the community — along with her ideas about how to expand retraining programs and employment opportunities if steel jobs are cut.

In Thunder Bay-Atikokan, the parties are vying for a seat that was represented by a Liberal MPP for several election cycles before the NDP narrowly won the riding in 2018 and the PCs flipped it in the last election. Here, incumbent Kevin Holland is running to keep the seat.

The Liberal candidate in that riding, Stephen Margarit, said while U.S. tariffs are concerning to people in northern Ontario, access to health care is still the biggest issue.

“When I go to the doors, when I phone people, when I talk to people day to day, the biggest things I’m hearing about is health care,” he said. “There’s about 28,000 people within the two Thunder Bay ridings who don’t have access to a family doctor.”

NDP candidate Judith Monteith-Farrell, who represented the riding in Queen’s Park between 2018 and 2022, said the state of roads is another major concern. “Deplorable conditions,” insufficient transport truck inspections and inadequate driver training are causing safety issues, she said.

“People who live in the north and often are doing recreation activities or live in rural kind of settings are afraid to be on the highways, and this has been something that we’ve been highlighting and trying to get the government’s attention on,” she said.

“Yet we have an inspection station for transports that they built, but they don’t have any personnel actually working there, so that’s a huge issue in northern Ontario.”

After cancelling a trip north last week because of travel issues after a plane crash at Pearson airport, Ford is spending the final weekend of the campaign in the north, visiting both Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.

On Saturday, Ford stood in front of a row of workers wearing yellow and orange safety vests during a stop at the Laborers’ International Union of North America local office, where he touted the region as “frontline against Donald Trump’s tariffs” in part because of the critical minerals it contains.

Ford stressed the need to fast-track approvals in the mineral-rich Ring of Fire area northeast of Thunder Bay, and promised a re-elected Progressive Conservative government would urge Ottawa to remove barriers and red tape.

“Ontario’s critical minerals don’t do us any good if they’re just stuck in the ground,” he said.

“To protect Ontario, to give us maximum leverage on the global stage, we have to get our critical minerals out of the ground, processed and shipped to the factory floors here in northern Ontario and across the province.”

Chris Loreto, a strategist who serves on the PC party’s executive, said people in northern Ontario will vote for the party they see as having the best approach on the economy and dealing with the impact of U.S. tariffs on critical industries.

“I believe northern Ontarians, much like Ontarians in the south, have the same set of concerns (and) are facing many of the same challenges, probably in a heightened way around affordability and the need to make sure that economies are strong, particularly to withstand the threat from the south,” he said.

“That, I think, is going to determine, at the end of the day, many of the seats in northern Ontario.”

Loreto said Ford has been able to gain a lot of support in the north.

“He’s doing a lot to make sure that we have the infrastructure in place to create new opportunities, not just for small businesses, but creating, unlocking the big opportunities like the Ring of Fire,” he said.

“He’s been supportive of northern businesses and industries.”

Ford is not the only one trying to woo northern voters with promises tailored to them.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles, whose pledges include widening two key highways in northern Ontario and fast-tracking passenger train projects in the north, visited both cities earlier in the campaign.

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, whose key pledge to get everyone in Ontario a family doctor includes attracting physicians to northern and rural areas, has also visited Thunder Bay.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, meanwhile, has promised to build 36,000 affordable homes in northern Ontario, including 6,000 supportive homes.

There’s a certain amount of cynicism at play for northern voters.

Monteith-Farrell said many people she’s spoken with in her Thunder Bay riding are unhappy about the fact this is all happening during the winter. “They said, ‘This is unfair to us in the north.'”

She predicted that some voters will choose the party they think is forming government, so that the people representing their constituencies have easier access to power. With the PCs riding high in the polls, that makes the campaign more challenging for Ford’s opponents.

The bigger issue might be anticipated low turnout.

“There are some folks that are just giving up,” she said. “People have become disillusioned.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2025.

The Canadian Press

Multiple cities across Canada are holding rallies at city halls, museums and community centres this weekend as part of a global day of action marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Rallies spanning across the country in cities including Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver will be held today.

Rallies began in cities across the country yesterday, and a handful of other cities have rallies scheduled for Monday.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 in a major escalation of a conflict that began in 2014.

The invasion is the largest and deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II, and has caused hundreds of thousands of military casualties and tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilian casualties.

Since the invasion, thousands of Ukrainians have fled to Canada as refugees.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2025.

The Canadian Press

Ontario’s main party leaders are fanning out across the province again today as the final weekend of the provincial election wraps before election day.

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is spending a second consecutive day in northern Ontario and is expected to visit Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.

Ford is set to release his party’s platform on Monday.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie will both spend time in Ottawa, with Stiles also making campaign stops in Peterborough and Bowmanville and Crombie beginning her day in Kingston.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner will canvass in Elora with a local candidate.

Advanced polls are open in the province, and election day is Feb. 27.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2025.

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Presumed Liberal leadership front-runner Mark Carney faces a major test Monday in Montreal, when he and his rivals square off in person for the first time in a French-language debate.

Carney is new to federal politics and his performance will be under the microscope. He’ll have to prove to Liberals that he can think on his feet in French — and since he has the most to lose, he’s expected to spend most of his time on defence.

“Especially after his inaugural speech in Edmonton, some people criticized his French, saying it was not that good. He does speak French, there is no question about it, but I think it will be a test for him,” said Daniel Béland, political science professor and director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada.

“People will be listening very carefully, especially people in Quebec or francophones, to not just what he says but how well he says it.”

Béland said Carney’s performance Monday should indicate how well he might perform in a French debate against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, both strong debaters.

Rival candidate Chrystia Freeland, an experienced debater who appears to have fallen far behind in the race, will look to stage a comeback.

“This is potentially an opportunity for her to put some gas and some energy back into her campaign, and perhaps for Liberal party members to remember why it is that they have been so fond of her for so many years,” said Liberal strategist Carlene Variyan of Summa Strategies.

Carney currently leads in endorsements, polling and fundraising, and he’s the subject of frequent attacks from Poilievre and his caucus — but that doesn’t mean he’s got the leadership sewn up.

“Anything can happen because this is a campaign,” said Variyan. “I wouldn’t be prepared to rule anything out, particularly because of the unpredictable and erratic nature of decisions that come from south of the border and (U.S. President) Donald Trump.”

Former government House leader Karina Gould and former Montreal MP Frank Baylis will also take the stage to make their pitches to the Liberal grassroots.

Variyan said she is eyeing Gould because she could have the most to gain from a solid debate performance.

“She has been a force in this race that I don’t think a lot of political observers perhaps would have predicted at the outset,” she said.

“What would be very interesting now would be to see whether the race for second truly becomes competitive between Gould and Freeland. That to me is the big story of this leadership campaign — who Karina Gould is and what she’ll do next when this is over.”

An English-language debate is set for Tuesday in Montreal.

Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto, said that while debates on their own don’t often matter that much in determining the outcome of leadership races, they can occasionally offer make-or-break moments and help turn around political fortunes.

While Kamala Harris’s sharp debate performance against Trump didn’t help her much at the U.S. polls last year, Jack Layton’s performance in the federal French debate in 2011 helped lift the NDP to official Opposition status, Wiseman said.

The other wild card, he said, is the state of the candidates’ get-out-the-vote machinery, which is difficult to assess before the voting is over.

“We could still have surprises, and that’s because of the method that the Liberals are using to select the leader,” Wiseman said.

Each riding is worth 100 points in the race — which means ridings where the Liberals typically do badly are great places to shop for votes. Freeland has spent time in rural Quebec wooing dairy farmers and in rural Alberta and elsewhere rallying Ukrainians.

“She’s playing it very smart to do that,” said Wiseman, pointing to the 2004 Conservative leadership race won by Stephen Harper. “Belinda Stronach came in second, ahead of Tony Clement. How did she come in second? She swept all these Quebec ridings.”

On Wednesday, immediately following the debates, advance voting opens for party members. The winner will be named March 9.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2025.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: e3b5caba574fbd8c363c4b747be2b4d520c46c259b72d9d7c27c64c8afa96b57.jpg, Caption:

Mark Carney, candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, makes an announcement at a campaign event in Halifax on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

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It’s the time of the year again to gather your receipts and hope for a big refund. The official opening of tax-filing season gets underway with electronic filing service Netfile set to open on Monday.

When you start preparing your return, do the “messy part” first, according to Brian Quinlan, a partner and chartered professional accountant with Allay LLP.

That means gathering all the information that can’t be found on the Canada Revenue Agency website, including receipts for everything from medical expenses to donations and child-care expenses to union dues.

Other forms, such as a T4, a T4A for pension-related income, T5s for interest and investment income and T3s for trust-related information can generally be accessed through the CRA website under your MyAccount profile.

“Most of those come electronically now from your bank, they may come in the mail or your employer may send you a PDF of your T4 now. But the good thing is, even if you perhaps moved or didn’t get a slip, odds are pretty good it’s on CRA’s website,” Quinlan said in an interview.

The tax-filing deadline is April 30, while the deadline for self-employed individuals to file is June 16 since June 15 falls on a weekend this year. If you are self-employed and think you will owe taxes, it’s important to remember that interest on any money owed starts accruing at the end of April despite the filing deadline being in June.

For those who want to reduce their tax bill for the 2024 tax year, the RRSP contribution deadline is March 3.

One of the major changes for this filing season is the delay of the capital gains inclusion rate.

On Jan. 31, the federal government said it would defer until 2026 the implementation of a hike to the capital gains inclusion rate which would have made two-thirds of capital gains over $250,000 subject to tax. Instead, 50 per cent of all capital gains remain subject to tax, unchanged from the 2023 tax year.

The CRA has noted its systems will not be ready to accept tax returns from individuals that report capital gains or losses until late March because of the changes and will grant interest and penalties relief until June 2 to allow more time to file.

Another change this tax season is a two-month extension granted by Ottawa to get a charitable donation tax receipt, stemming from the Canada Post strike that halted mail delivery late last year.

Quinlan said a lot of charities didn’t get as much money as they usually do in December because of the mail strike, so the government made the change.

“So a donation made in the first two months of 2025 can be claimed either on your 2024 return or your 2025 return,” he said.

When mapping out which credits you’re eligible for, remember some can be grouped together or transferred between spouses, or transferred from kids to maximize a return.

This can include grouping charitable donations or medical expenses together to claim them on one return or transferring tuition credits from a low-income student to a higher-earning parent.

Don’t be a “selfish tax planner,” Quinlan said.

“I think you just can’t sit and do your return in a silo or in isolation. You have to look at the returns of all your family,” he said.

H&R Block tax specialist Yannick Lemay said there are more than 400 tax credits and deductions available to taxpayers, so it’s easy to “get lost” and miss some you might be eligible for.

Lemay said one of the biggest myths about tax season is that it doesn’t matter if you miss the filing deadline if you know you don’t owe taxes.

In fact, he said, not filing your taxes on time could have negative consequences.

Even if you had no income to report for 2024, you need to file an income tax return to receive certain benefits such as the Canada child benefit, GST/HST tax credit and the Canada Carbon Rebate.

“They could be missing out on some credits and benefits that are being paid by the federal or provincial governments, but also sometimes there could be penalties that apply to your tax return even if you don’t owe taxes to CRA,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2025.

Michelle Zadikian and Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press

A conversation with his late grandfather and experiences opening for other musicians have inspired Aysanabee to showcase Indigenous musicians on his current tour through Eastern Canada. Two Nova Scotia musicians say they are thrilled about the opportunity.

Darlene Naugle says she felt like she "died and went to heaven" when Smart-Go was launched in her rural municipality. The retiree doesn't have a car and says she struggled to get around Port Bickerton before the door-to-door accessible transportation service started operating.

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s president says he is going to launch a unity government, as violence spreads across the country’s east and pressure mounts over his handling of the crisis.

On Saturday, in some of his first statements since Rwandan-backed rebels captured major cities in eastern Congo, President Felix Tshisekedi, told a meeting of the Sacred Union of the Nation ruling coalition not to be distracted by internal quarrels.

“I lost the battle and not the war. I must reach out to everyone including the opposition. There will be a government of national unity,” said Tshisekedi. He didn’t give more details on what that would entail or when it would happen.

M23 rebels — the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control and influence in eastern Congo — have swept through the region seizing key cities, killing some 3,000 people. In a lightning three-week offensive, the M23 took control of eastern Congo’s main city Goma and seized the second largest city, Bukavu.

The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, over 1,000 miles away.

Rwanda has accused Congo of enlisting ethnic Hutu fighters responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda of minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

M23 says it’s fighting to protect Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination and wants to transform Congo from a failed state to a modern one. Analysts have called those pretexts for Rwanda’s involvement.

On Saturday, Tshisekedi paid tribute to soldiers who were killed and vowed to prop up the army.

Jean-yves Kamale, The Associated Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

The Halifax Mooseheads were defeated in overtime by the Victoriaville Tigres on Saturday night at the Scotiabank Centre.

The Mooseheads and the Tigres traded goals in the first period. Victoriaville struck first as Enzo Lottin sent a laser past Jacob Steinman less than three minutes into the game. Halifax responded seven minutes later as Shawn Carrier scored his 15th of the season, exiting the penalty box, Carrier received a pass from Owen Phillips before firing a shot over the pad of Gabriel D’Aigle.

Like the first period, Victoriaville opened the scoring in the second as Thomas Gagnon beat Steinman on the doorstep seven minutes into the period. Halifax retaliated shortly after as Quinn Kennedy flung the puck at the Tigres net. The puck ended up at the feet of Braeden MacPhee who beat D’Aigle to retie the game.

Again, the Tigres started the scoring in the third period, as Maddox Labre threw the puck on net that found its way past Steinman and into the Mooseheads net. Callum Aucoin scored his second as a member of the Mooseheads to send the game to overtime. Patrick McNab found Aucoin at the side of the net, who tipped McNab’s pass into the Tigres net.

Three minutes into the overtime period, Thomas Paquet beat Steinman to hand the Herd their fifth straight loss.

With the loss the Mooseheads fall to 17-30-8 while the Tigres improve to 15-35-4

Jacob Steinman earned first star for Halifax making 30 saves in the loss. Victoriaville claimed the other two stars Samuel Vachon claimed second star while third star went to Thomas Paquet.

The Mooseheads will be back in action Thursday, Feb 27th, as they travel to TD Station to take on the Saint John Sea Dogs. Puck drop is at 7 p.m., and you can catch all the action on 95.7 NewsRadio.

Pictou County District RCMP is investigating a crash that left a vehicle overturned in the river and one woman dead.

RCMP, fire services and EHS were called to the scene at Hwy. 104 near West River East Side Road in Salt Springs on Feb. 20 at 3:45 p.m. Upon arrival, responders located a Dodge Grand Caravan on its roof with two injured people inside.

Fire services recovered the driver, a 75-year-old man, and the passenger, a 73-year-old woman, both residents of Cheticamp.

The woman was pronounced dead on scene and the man suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to hospital via EHS.

A preliminary investigation is ongoing and is being assisted by the Nova Scotia RCMP Collision and Reconstruction Service team.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam footage of a white Grand Caravan in the area on Feb. 20 is asked to contact RCMP or submit a tip to Crime Stoppers.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the release of over 600 Palestinian prisoners is delayed “until the release of the next hostages is guaranteed, and without the degrading ceremonies” at handovers of Israeli captives in Gaza.

The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came early Sunday as vehicles apparently carrying prisoners left the open gates of Ofer prison, only to turn around and go back in.

The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners had been delayed for several hours and was meant to occur just after six Israeli hostages were released on Saturday.

Five of the six hostages freed Saturday were escorted by masked, armed militants in front of a crowd — a display that the U.N. and others have criticized as cruel after previous handovers.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners without explanation Saturday after Hamas released the last six living hostages expected under the ceasefire ‘s first phase, with a week remaining in the initial stage.

Freed were three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and another taken while visiting family in southern Israel during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the 16-month war in Gaza. The two others were held for a decade after entering Gaza on their own.

Five were handed over in staged ceremonies that the Red Cross, U.N. and Israel have condemned as cruel and disrespectful, escorted by masked, armed Hamas fighters in front of hundreds of Palestinians.

Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov and Eliya Cohen were posed alongside Hamas fighters. A beaming Shem Tov, acting under duress, kissed two militants on the head and blew kisses to the crowd. They wore fake army uniforms, though they were not soldiers when abducted.

Cohen’s family and friends in Israel chanted “Eliya! Eliya! Eliya!” and cheered.

“You’re heroes,” Shem Tov told his parents as they later embraced, laughing and crying. “You have no idea how much I dreamt of you.” His father, Malki Shem Tov, told public broadcaster Kan his son was held alone after the first 50 days and lost 17 kilograms (37 pounds).

Earlier Saturday, Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 38, were freed. Mengistu, an Ethiopian-Israeli, entered Gaza in 2014. His family told Israeli media he has struggled with mental health issues. The Israeli-Austrian Shoham was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri. His wife and two children were freed in a 2023 exchange.

Later, Israel’s military said Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, was released. The Bedouin Israeli entered Gaza in 2015. His family has told Israeli media he was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The release of over 600 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel — the largest one-day prisoner release in the ceasefire’s first phase — did not occur just after the hostage releases as expected.

Israel’s government didn’t respond to questions. Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal, with spokesperson Abdel Latif Al-Qanou accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “deliberately stalling.”

The hostage release followed a heartrending dispute when Hamas on Thursday handed over the wrong body for Shiri Bibas, an Israeli mother abducted with her two young boys. The remains were determined to be those of a Palestinian woman. Netanyahu vowed revenge for “a cruel and malicious violation.” Hamas suggested it was a mistake.

Israeli forensic authorities confirmed a body handed over on Friday was Bibas. Dr. Chen Kugel, head of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, said they found no evidence Bibas and her children were killed in an Israeli airstrike, as Hamas has claimed. Kugel did not give a cause.

Hamas denied the Israeli military claim, based on forensic evidence and unspecified “intelligence,” that its militants killed the children “with their bare hands,” calling it a lie aimed at justifying Israeli military actions against civilians in Gaza.

Difficult talks likely over the ceasefire’s next phase

The ceasefire deal has paused the deadliest and most devastating fighting ever between Israel and Hamas, but there are fears the war will resume.

Hamas has said it will release four bodies next week, completing the truce’s first phase. After that, Hamas will hold over 60 hostages — about half believed to be alive.

Talks on the ceasefire’s second phase are yet to start, but negotiations are likely to be more difficult.

Hamas has said it won’t release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu, with the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, says he’s committed to destroying Hamas’ military and governing capacities and returning all hostages, goals widely seen as mutually exclusive.

An Israeli official said Netanyahu would meet with security advisers on Saturday evening about the ceasefire’s future, focusing “on the goal of returning all our hostages, alive and dead.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting had not been formally announced.

Freed hostages bring relief and a sign of life

Wenkert, Cohen, Shoham and Shem Tov had an “extremely difficult period in captivity,” the Beilinson hospital said, but it did not give details at the families’ request.

Niva Wenkert, Omer’s mother, told Israel’s Channel 12 that “on the surface, he looks OK, but there’s no telling what’s inside.”

“This is an unforgettable moment, where all emotions are rapidly mixing together,” Shoham’s family said, and called for a deal to free all hostages still held.

Families and others rallied again Saturday night in Tel Aviv to pressure Netanyahu’s government for a deal.

“How is it possible that President Trump and special envoy (Steven) Witkoff are more committed to the return of Israeli hostages than you are?” said Naama Weinberg, cousin of deceased hostage Itay Svirsky. “Netanyahu, these are your citizens who were abandoned on your watch!”

Hamas later released a video showing two hostages still held, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa Dallal, as they sat in a vehicle and spoke under duress at the handover for Shem Tov, Cohen and Wenkert. A group representing hostages’ families called the video “sickening.”

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners set for release

The 620 Palestinian prisoners to be freed include 151 serving life or other sentences for attacks against Israelis. Almost 100 will be deported, according to the Palestinian prisoners’ media office.

A Palestinian prisoner rights association said they include Nael Barghouti, who spent over 45 years in prison for an attack that killed an Israeli bus driver.

Also being released are 445 men, 23 children aged 15 to 19, and a woman, all seized by Israeli troops in Gaza without charge during the war.

Israel’s military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

The offensive destroyed vast areas of Gaza, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. At its height, the war displaced 90% of Gaza’s population.

The Oct. 7 attack killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers have died in the war.

___

Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Jahjouh from Rafah. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel; Abdel-Kareem Hana in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip; and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Wafaa Shurafa, Mohammed Jahjouh And Melanie Lidman, The Associated Press

Christina Black's curling team from Nova Scotia has advanced to the semifinal at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ont., with an 8-7 win over Alberta's Kayla Skrlik.

Pictou County RCMP are investigating a fatal crash on Thursday that left a 73-year-old woman dead near Salt Springs, N.S.

CAIRO (AP) — A cholera outbreak in a southern Sudanese city killed nearly 60 people and sickened about 1,300 others over the last three days, health authorities said Saturday.

The outbreak in the southern city of Kosti was blamed mainly on contaminated drinking water after the city’s water plant stopped due to an attack by a notorious paramilitary group, the health ministry said. The group has been fighting the country’s military for about two years.

The ministry said in a statement the disease killed 58 people and sickened 1,293 others between Thursday and Saturday.

The ministry said it has taken a series of measures to fight the outbreak, including launching a vaccination campaign against cholera in the city.

The disease killed more than 600 and sickened over 21,000 others between July and October last year.

Cholera is a highly contagious disease that causes diarrhea, leading to severe dehydration and could be fatal if not immediately treated, according to WHO. It’s transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water.

The Associated Press

OTTAWA — Liberal leadership contender Chrystia Freeland vows to scrap Canada’s consumer carbon pricing regime in favour of alternatives to be developed through wide-ranging consultations.

In a policy statement on climate action, Freeland also says she is committed to meeting Canada’s climate targets by reducing pollution from the biggest emitters, helping people cut their energy bills and building reliable electricity grids.

Freeland says her plan will build durable, lasting climate progress without making Canadians pay the cost.

She promises to work with provinces and territories, labour leaders, experts, industry, Indigenous Peoples and others to find viable alternatives to consumer carbon pricing.

Leadership rival Mark Carney has also promised to dispense with the consumer-facing carbon price in favour of other measures, saying the country has become polarized over the policy due to misinformation.

The Liberals will choose a new leader to succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on March 9.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 22, 2025.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — In his annual letter to shareholders Saturday, Warren Buffett celebrated the successes of Berkshire Hathaway’s companies last year and in the 60 years since he took over a struggling New England textile company and began converting it into a massive conglomerate.

Buffett opened the letter by acknowledging that he has occasionally made mistakes over the years without offering many specific examples, but he assured shareholders that the man he has chosen to one day succeed him as CEO, Greg Abel, isn’t one of them. He wrote that Abel will be ready to act whenever he spots significant investment opportunities.

“We are impartial in our choice of equity vehicles, investing in either variety based upon where we can best deploy your (and my family’s) savings. Often, nothing looks compelling; very infrequently we find ourselves knee-deep in opportunities. Greg has vividly shown his ability to act at such times,” Buffett wrote.

And Abel will have plenty of resources to work with given that Berkshire now holds $334.201 billion cash after selling off much of its Apple and Bank of America stock in the past year and continuing to generate money from all its subsidiaries that include Geico insurance, BNSF railroad, a collection of major utilities and an assortment of major manufacturers and well-known retail businesses that include brands like Dairy Queen and See’s Candy. That’s almost double the $167.6 billion cash Berkshire held a year ago.

Buffett did find a few things to use some of that cash on last year by spending $3.9 billion to acquire the rest of its utility business from the estate of a former partner and another $2.6 billion to buy the rest of the Pilot truck stop chain. Buffett said he also increased Berkshire’s investment in five major Japanese conglomerates. Berkshire has now spent $13.8 billion over the past six years on those Japanese investments that are now worth $23.5 billion.

But while Buffett has struggled to find major acquisitions in recent years he affirmed that he has no plans to offer a dividend.

In what might be a nod to the 94-year-old Buffett’s age, the legendary investor announced that this year’s shareholder meeting in May that routinely attracts tens of thousands of people will be shorter. Buffett and Berkshire’s two vice chairmen will only answer questions from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. — several hours less than usual. Buffett also acknowledged using a cane these days to avoid “falling flat on my face.”

Josh Funk, The Associated Press

The Canadian hockey legend known as “The Great One” is facing heightened criticism over his political affiliations as tensions between Canada and the U.S. continue to fester.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to make Canada the “51st state” of the U.S., prompting mass criticism from politicians and residents north of the border.

Those critiques appeared to grow louder after Canada’s overtime win Thursday at the 4 Nations Face-Off final in Boston. Gretzky was Team Canada’s honorary captain.

Terry Jones, a sports writer who covered the Edmonton Oilers for 55 years, said Trump’s stated ambitions to annex Canada have made calls for clarity around Gretzky’s views more urgent.

“I consider him a great Canadian,” said Jones, who has written several books about Gretzky. Jones is a also Hockey Hall of Fame inductee.

“But obviously the relationship with Trump has become a focus, and I can’t believe in my heart and soul that Wayne Gretzky believes Canada should be the 51st state.”

Gretzky’s connection to Trump has come into the public eye over the past year.

Gretzky and his wife attended Trump’s inauguration in January, and he has been photographed with Trump several times at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Gretzky was also photographed at Trump’s election victory party wearing a Make America Great Again hat.

Prior to his inauguration, Trump called Gretzky a great friend.

“I said, ‘Run for prime minister, you’ll win,'” Trump said. “But (Gretzky) said, ‘Am I going to run for prime minister or governor, you tell me.’ I said, ‘I don’t know, let’s make it governor.'”

Gretzky has not publicly discussed his political affiliations, leading to questions about his level of support for Trump’s agenda, as the president’s tariff threats and “51st state” rhetoric ramp up.

Gretzky’s perceived reluctance to state his beliefs has affected his reputation among some Canadians, Jones said.

He adds that he doesn’t object to the 64-year-old Gretzky attending Trump’s inauguration.

“If I’m right that (Gretzky) doesn’t think Canada should become the 51st state, he should step up and say it,” Jones said.

“I certainly haven’t turned on Wayne Gretzky or changed any degree of my absolute admiration for the guy.”

Frustrations that Gretzky has not sufficiently supported Canada were voiced by fans online after he appeared as honorary captain in a suit and tie at the hockey final. American honorary captain Mike Eruzione wore the U.S. jersey.

Video footage showed Gretzky giving the U.S. team a thumbs-up as he walked to the ice from their bench. He handed the Canadian players hats that said Be Great after the win.

M2NS, a talent agency representing Gretzky, didn’t respond to a request for comment.

In 2009, Gretzky was named a Companion of the Order of Canada but has been criticized for not travelling to Ottawa for it.

The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General said in a statement that Gretzky was honoured with the award, and it “regularly communicates with recipients to determine their availability to participate in an investiture ceremony to receive their insignia.”

In Edmonton, where Gretzky made his name as a living legend, some fans are petitioning for a freeway in his name to be changed. Capilano Drive was renamed Wayne Gretzky Drive in 1999 as a tribute to his years with the Oilers, where he won four Stanley Cups.

Petition organizer Grant Prete said his opinion of Gretzky has deteriorated since a photo in November of Gretzky wearing a MAGA hat.

“If he’s going to flip now and make a statement saying otherwise, it’s going to be hard to believe,” he said. “That’s how I feel at this point … I don’t know what he could do.”

As of late Friday, the petition had reached 3,800 signatures.

A spokesperson for the City of Edmonton said the city hasn’t received any requests to rename Wayne Gretzky Drive.

“Anyone who wants to make a request for a renaming needs to fill in an application and get letters of support along with other required information,” Kris Berezanski said in an email.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 22, 2025.

Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press

VEGREVILLE, Alta. — Yuliia Kalutska doesn’t have the will to talk about plans for her future.

She says it’s because of rebukes this week of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump called the European leader a “dictator” and blamed Ukraine for starting the war.

“It’s hard not to watch the news, and it’s even harder to watch news,” said Kalutska, a 30-year-old Ukrainian who fled after the war began with her newborn son. They now live in Vegreville, a town east of Edmonton.

“(Trump’s comments) are absurd and surreal,” Kalutska said. “It makes me cry. It makes me feel horrible.

“I’m scared every single day.”

Monday marks the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. and Russia have been talking about a possible end to the war. Trump has warned Zelenskyy that he “better move fast” with negotiations or risk not having a nation to lead.

Zelenskyy has said Trump is falling into Russian disinformation.

“We have no idea where this is going. (Trump) is off his rocker. I hate to see it happening,” said Jerrold Lemko, a volunteer liaison for Ukrainian newcomers in Vegreville.

He said most of the recent talk in the town’s coffee shops is about Trump.

Many in the town of 6,000, known for its giant sculpture of an Easter egg, or Pysanka, have Ukrainian roots. The community has sponsored at least 125 people fleeing the war.

“If I feel this bad, I can’t imagine how newcomers are feeling because they have family there,” said Lemko, who has Ukrainian heritage.

Sheryl Cymbaliuk, finance chair for the Vegreville Stands With Ukraine support group, said Trump’s comments have been disappointing for community members.

“Social media is littered with the fallacies that Trump has been spreading, so there is frustration, more than we can even imagine when their families are still in Ukraine,” she said.

Some Ukrainians in Vegreville had hopes of returning to their homes one day.

“Now that dream might be slightly diminished,” Cymbaliuk said.

A march and church service in support of Ukraine are set for Sunday.

“We want to remind everybody that the war is not over and that Ukraine continues to need our support,” Cymbaliuk said.

Kalutska said she’ll be at the march with other Ukrainian women who fled the war and have become her support system. She plans to speak and share her story about how she fled with her son and left behind her family, some of whom are on the front lines of the fight.

Vegreville Mayor Tim MacPhee said it’s important for the town to show its support for the Ukrainian community.

“There was a lot of confidence in the community that maybe President Trump would have the ability to put (Russian President Vladimir Putin) in his place and try to bring this conflict to an end,” said MacPhee.

“I feel that we’ve all lost a lot of confidence.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 22, 2025.

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press

It's an open question whether prohibition has ever "worked" anywhere in the world. But in Nova Scotia, prohibition was unquestioningly an abject failure.

The post Part 2: Blind Pig appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Cape Breton Regional Police say one person is dead after an early morning shooting in Whitney Pier, N.S., but have not disclosed the age or gender of the victim.

Orthopedic surgery is a highly sought-after speciality in medicine — and getting into the profession attracts top candidates. Dr. Bernard Burgesson went from Dalhousie Medical School all the way to Boston to do a fellowship at Harvard. Dr. Burgesson decided to return to Nova Scotia to give back to the province he loves and to mentor students, especially the ones who look like him. The CBC's Elizabeth Chiu has the story.

Researchers hope a pilot project that monitors the heart rate of baby seals will help them understand how the pups prepare for life in harsh conditions.

WestJet will offer direct flights between Halifax and Amsterdam this summer as the travel industry in Canada sees an increasing demand for European destinations.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas is set to free six more Israeli hostages Saturday from the Gaza Strip, but the exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is shadowed by heightened tension between the adversaries that clouds the future of the fragile ceasefire deal.

As preparations moved forward Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for “a cruel and malicious violation” of the agreement centered on the wrong identification of a body released by Hamas.

The family of Shiri Bibas said Israeli forensic authorities had confirmed that the remains released overnight are those of Israeli mother of two small boys. Her body had been released by militants Friday after one set of remains handed over Thursday had been misidentified as hers but later determined to be an unidentified Palestinian woman.

Three other bodies returned were confirmed as those of Bibas’ sons and Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when all were taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 in Israel and ignited the war.

Israel said its tests determined that the three hostages had been killed by their captors. Hamas has claimed Lifshitz and the members of the Bibas family were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.

Hamas said it would “conduct a thorough review” of information regarding the body and suggested that Israeli bombing of the area where hostages were held might have caused a mix-up of remains.

The group’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said it would go ahead with the release of the six Israeli hostages planned for Saturday.

The dispute over the body’s identity raised new doubt about the ceasefire deal, which has paused over 15 months of war but is nearing the end of its first phase. Negotiations over a second phase, in which Hamas would release dozens more hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal, are likely to be even more difficult.

The six Israeli men set for release Saturday are expected to be the last living hostages freed during the ceasefire’s first phase.

They include Eliya Cohen, 27; Omer Shem Tov, 22; and Omer Wenkert, 23. All three were abducted from a music festival during the Oct. 7 attack. Tal Shoham, 40, who was taken from the community of Kibbutz Beeri, is also set to be released.

Avera Mengistu, 39, and Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, who have been held since crossing into Gaza on their own years ago, are also scheduled to be returned to Israel as part of the deal.

More than 600 Palestinians jailed in Israel will be freed in exchange, the Palestinian prisoners media office said Friday. The prisoners set for release include 50 serving life sentences, 60 with long sentences, 47 who were released under a previous hostage-for-prisoner exchange and 445 prisoners from Gaza arrested since the war began.

Hamas has said it will also release four more bodies next week, completing the first phase of the ceasefire. If that plan is carried out, Hamas would retain about 60 hostages, about half of whom are believed to be alive.

Hamas has said it won’t release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, with the full backing of the Trump administration, says he’s committed to destroying Hamas’ military and governing capacities and returning all the hostages, goals widely seen as mutually exclusive.

Trump’s proposal to remove about 2 million Palestinians from Gaza so the U.S. can own and rebuild it has thrown the ceasefire into further doubt. His idea has been welcomed by Netanyahu but universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries.

Trump said Friday that he was “a little surprised” by rejections of the proposal by Egypt and Jordan and that he would not impose it.

“I’ll tell you, the way to do it is my plan. I think that’s the plan that really works. But I’m not forcing it. I’m just going to sit back and recommend it,” Trump said in a Fox News interview.

Israel’s military offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

The offensive destroyed vast areas of Gaza, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. At its height, the war displaced 90% of Gaza’s population. Many have returned to their homes to find nothing left and no way of rebuilding.

___

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

The Associated Press

The Charlottetown Islanders defeated the Halifax Mooseheads 4-2 at the Scotiabank Centre Friday night, after a three-goal second period.

The Mooseheads ended the first period with the lead as captain Brady Schultz scored his sixth of the season 9:32 into the period. Liam Kilfoil skated around the Islander’s net, headed to the point before finding Schultz near the left faceoff circle who backhanded the puck through the five-hole of Donald Hickey.

The Islanders dominated the second period, scoring three unanswered goals. Owen Conrad scored the first for the Islanders on the powerplay, Matthew Butler and Ethan Montroy added the other goals for Charlottetown as they entered the third period with a two-goal lead over the Herd.

Charlottetown maintained control of the game in the third period as Nathan Leeks knocked a puck past Steinman. Rookie Caylen Blake retaliated for the Mooseheads to bring them back to within two, beating the Islanders defence before slipping the puck into the Islanders net with about six minutes left in the third but the Islanders kept their lead to come out on top.

With the loss the Mooseheads fall to 17-30-7 while the surging Islanders improve to 27-23-3

Matthew Butler claimed first star for the Charlottetown Islanders with two goals and an assist. Second star went to Mooseheads captain Brady Schultz with the Mooseheads first goal and Owen Conrad earned third star.

The Herd are back in action right away as they host the Victoriaville Tigres at the Scotiabank Centre on Saturday, Feb 22nd. Puck drop is at 7 p.m., and you can catch all the action on 95.7 NewsRadio.

Premier Tim Houston asked for an audit of out-of-province care last fall, but now he's proposing major shakeups to the auditor general's office.

OTTAWA — The Liberal Party of Canada has kicked Ruby Dhalla out of the leadership race just days before debates in Montreal.

The party’s national director Azam Ishmael says the decision was unanimous by the leadership vote committee, alleging Dhalla violated the vote and expense rules.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The Canadian Press

A major cryptocurrency exchange says it was the victim of a sophisticated hack that stole about $1.5 billion worth of digital currency, marking one of the biggest online thefts of all time.

Bybit said Friday that a routine transfer of Ethereum, one of the most popular cryptocurrencies, between digital wallets was “manipulated” by an attacker who transferred the crypto to an unidentified address.

The company sought to reassure customers that their cryptocurrency holdings with the exchange were safe. The company added that news of the hack had led to a surge in withdrawal requests and there could be delays in processing them.

Ben Zhou, Bybit’s CEO, said on social media that his company would remain solvent even if the hacked crypto wasn’t recovered.

“We can cover the loss,” he said.

Stealing cryptocurrencies is a favorite tactic of hackers. North Korean state hackers, in particular, have been linked to several high-dollar crypto thefts in recent years. In December, the FBI, the Defense Department and National Police Agency of Japan issued a joint statement blaming North Korean hackers for the theft of $308 million from a Japanese crypto firm.

Associated Press, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is restoring jobs for dozens of National Park Service employees fired amid government-wide reductions and hiring nearly 3,000 additional seasonal workers, following an uproar over an aggressive plan to downsize the agency.

At least 50 jobs are being restored to help maintain and clean parks, educate visitors and collect admission fees, according to two people familiar with the agency’s plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The moves come as the park service said in a new memo that it will hire up to 7,700 seasonal positions this year, up from about 5,000 promised earlier this week and higher than the three-year average of 6,350 seasonal workers. The park service has about 20,000 employees.

Lawmakers and advocacy groups have criticized the widespread layoffs as unnecessary and a threat to public safety and the parks themselves.

“These roles are critical to protecting America’s treasured natural assets, maintaining public safety and promoting exceptional standards,” said a letter signed by Virginia’s two Democratic senators and six Democratic House members.

“If these directives are not reversed, we fear it will significantly undermine the Park Service’s ability to protect both visitors and park resources, particularly as we approach peak visitation season,” they wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

Concern about the layoffs was bipartisan. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, said she’s worried that Acadia National Park will “not be able to hire the seasonal employees required to collect entrance fees and perform other essential tasks such as maintaining trails and providing first responder services to visitors.”

Seasonal workers are routinely added during warm-weather months to serve more than 325 million visitors who descend on the nation’s 433 parks, historic sites and other attractions yearly. Park advocates say the permanent staff cuts will leave hundreds of national parks — including some of the most well-known and most heavily visited sites — understaffed and facing tough decisions about operating hours, public safety and resource protection.

A spokesperson for the Interior Department declined to comment Friday. No one at the park service responded to an email from The Associated Press.

While the plan to hire more seasonal workers is welcome, “it will take a while to get to the number of seasonals hired to avoid some of the impacts we’ve talked about,” said Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers and a former superintendent of Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park.

Job offers to thousands of seasonal workers were rescinded in recent days, and not all of them will be rehired, Wade and other advocates said. Some permanent employees who were laid off were in human resources and would have been involved in hiring and training seasonal employees.

“I’m celebrating because eventually they will be hired, but I’m leery to say everything’s been fixed,” Wade said Friday, noting that the layoffs and confusion over seasonal employment came after an unknown number of park workers agreed to leave the agency in deferred resignations offered by the Trump administration.

“There’s no real staffing plan. It’s chaotic, and there’s no leadership from the secretary of the Interior,” said Tim Whitehouse, executive director of the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

Burgum “needs to step up and make sure these parks are operating at full capacity this spring and summer,” Whitehouse said. Problems are likely at parks that are popular in the spring, such as Zion National Park in Utah, park advocates said.

“National parks are something that all Americans cherish, and the people making the decisions are disconnected from that reality,” Whitehouse said, referring to billionaire Elon Musk and a team of aides who have overseen an effort to fire thousands of federal workers.

President Donald Trump has not nominated a park service director, a position that requires Senate confirmation. Jessica Bowron, the agency’s comptroller, has been named acting director.

___

Matthew Daly, The Associated Press

The only daily TV news package to focus on Nova Scotians and their stories

The province says legislative changes providing it with more access to medical records allows for better management of the health-care system. But Dr. Margaret Fraser says they breach privacy rights. Kyle Moore has the story.

Some driveways and sidewalks are still difficult to navigate throughout Halifax and Dartmouth. That coupled with a salt shortage has put many in a slippery situation. Ella Burke has the story.

Judge finds Richmond County residents Daryl and Shelley Digout guilty of sexual assault, sexual interference and sexual exploitation involving a youth who was in their care for spiritual training when she was between nine and 12 years old.

An earthquake northwest of B.C.’s Sunshine Coast rumbled across the Lower Mainland Friday afternoon.

Earthquake Canada says an automatic Earthquake Early Warning was issued for the event at 1:26 p.m. It says the quake hit little more than 20 kilometres northwest of Sechelt.

Callers to 1130 NewsRadio say it was felt all around B.C.’s Sunshine Coast and Lower Mainland.

This is a developing story. More to come.

If not the U.S., then where will the natural gas come from?

The post Tariffs and Nova Scotia’s energy future: Where will the natural gas come from? appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

As early as Monday, Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservative majority government may pass a motion in the House of Assembly that gives it the power to stop debate at any time on proposed laws or bills.

The post Nova Scotia NDP critical of Progressive Conservative ‘silencing’ tactics appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Chris Googoo, a prominent First Nation councillor in Nova Scotia, has been acquitted of charges linked to the 2022 seizure of a large amount of illegal tobacco, after a judge ruled Thursday the evidence in court did not prove he was the owner of the small shop.

An Annapolis Valley man has been found guilty of several charges related to a homicide, but not for the killing itself.

Team Canada won the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey showdown and there were celebrations across the country. But it meant something special in Nova Scotia, because three of the team's top players hail from that province. The CBC's Kayla Hounsell has that story from Cole Harbour.