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Quebec pork farmers reeling as a ‘perfect storm’ creates economic crisis

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:01 GMT

ST-SEBASTIEN, QUE. — Over the last two years, François Nadeau has chosen to do something rare among his fellow Quebec pork farmers: invest in the future.Despite economic conditions that industry leaders have called a crisis, Nadeau and his wife and co-owner of their business, Julie Bogemans, went ahead with a new building to house some of their 1,200 sows. It features high-tech feeding and cooling systems and bigger, open pens to replace many of the crates and cages that used to keep the animals confined. In an interview at his farm in St-Sebastien, a rural community about 50 kilometres southeast of Montreal, Nadeau explained that the changes were made in part to ensure the farm complies with new federal animal welfare rules that come into force in 2029.“Despite everything that’s happening, we’re among those who still believe in (pig farming), despite the difficulties,” he said.In the current economic climate, leaving pork production altogether seems to be th...

Residents in Quebec’s Laurentians waiting for news after evacuation from eroded dike

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:01 GMT

Hundreds of residents of two municipalities in Quebec’s Laurentians region are awaiting further news after being ordered to leave their homes due to structural problems in a nearby dike.Government inspectors found structural weaknesses in the Morier dike during a recent visit that could lead it to burst.The evacuation order was issued Sunday night for about 1,000 properties near the Kiamika River in the municipalities of Chute-St-Philippe and Lac-des-Ecorces.The inspectors suspect internal erosion to be the cause of the structural damage.Martin Ferland, an engineer at the General Directorate of Dams of the Ministry of the Environment, says experts don’t know yet when it will be safe for residents to return, noting they’re still investigating and will try to give people an answer as soon as possible.The dike on the Kiamika Reservoir was built in 1954 and has the capacity to retain 382 million cubic metres of water, the equivalent of more than 100,000 Olympic-size sw...

2 boats adrift in the Andaman Sea with 400 Rohingya aboard desperately need rescue, UN says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:01 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — An estimated 400 Rohingya Muslims believed to be aboard two boats adrift in the Andaman Sea without adequate supplies could die if more is not done to rescue them, according to the U.N. refugee agency and aid workers.The number of Rohingya Muslims fleeing by boats in a seasonal exodus — usually from squalid, overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh — has been rising since last year due to cuts to food rations and a spike in gang violence.“There are about 400 children, women and men looking death in the eye if there are no moves to save these desperate souls,” Babar Baloch, the agency’s Bangkok-based regional spokesperson, told The Associated Press.The whereabouts of the other boat were unclear. The boats apparently embarked from Bangladesh and are reported to have been at sea for about two weeks, he said.The captain of one of the boats, contacted by the AP, said he had 180 to 190 people on board. They were out of food and water and the engine was damaged. The captain, ...

Israel strikes in and around Gaza’s second-largest city in an already bloody new phase of the war

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:01 GMT

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel intensified its bombardment in and around Gaza’s second-largest city early Tuesday, as ambulances and private cars came racing into a local hospital carrying people wounded in a bloody new phase of the war in Gaza.Under U.S. pressure to prevent further mass casualties, Israel says it is being more precise as it widens its offensive into southern Gaza after obliterating much of the north. Aerial bombardment and the ground offensive have already driven three-fourths of the territory’s 2.3 million people from their homes.At the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, ambulances brought dozens of wounded people in throughout the night. At one point, a car pulled up and man emerged carrying a young boy in a bloody shirt, whose hand had been blown off.“What’s happening here is imaginable,” said Hamza al-Bursh, who lives in the neighborhood of Maan, one of several in and around the city where Israel has ordered civilians to leave. “They strike indi...

Stock market today: Global shares mixed after Moody’s downgrade of Chinese credit rating

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:01 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares were mixed Tuesday, with Chinese benchmarks falling after Moody’s Investor Service downgraded China’s sovereign debt rating, reflecting concern that the country’s property crisis is spilling into its local government and private financing. France’s CAC 40 added 0.2% in early trading to 7,348.10, while Germany’s DAX rose nearly 0.1% to 16,419.22. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.2% to 7,499.67. The future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.3% and that for the S&P 500 was 0.2% lower. In Asian trading, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.9% to 16,327.86, while the Shanghai Composite lost 1.7% to 2,972.30 as worries flared over weakness in the Chinese economy. Credit rating agency Moody’s cut its outlook for Chinese sovereign bonds to negative on Tuesday, citing risks from a slowing economy and a crisis in its property sector.Moody’s said the downgrade, its first for China since 2017, reflects risks from financing troubles of local and regi...

Daily horoscope for December 5, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:01 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Virgo.Happy Birthday for Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023:You are modern and cutting-edge. You can be perceptive. You are also a visionary who is intelligent and imaginative. Focus on service to others this year, especially family. It’s also time to take care of your own mind, body and spirit. Perhaps it’s time for a personal makeover. Personalize your home.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★A work-related flirtation might suddenly begin today. (Something exciting.) Meanwhile, this is an excellent day to ask for a loan or mortgage. You also might make plans about how to use the wealth or resources of your partner or a third party in a sensible, supportive way. Tonight: Check your finances.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★This is a good day for a heart-to-heart talk with a close friend or partner. In particular, you might want to address practical matters like the division of labor or how to share exp...

Almost €34 million in European Solidarity Funds awarded to Romania to repair damages caused by severe drought in 2022

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:01 GMT

The Commission has approved €33.9 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to support Romania in addressing the extensive damages caused by droughts and wildfires in 2022.Cohesion and Reforms Commissioner Elisa Ferreira (pictured) said: “This is EU solidarity in action! We promised, and we delivered: €33.9 million in financial support will help Romania rebuild and restore what was destroyed to the drought and wildfires in 2022. The EU Solidarity Fund is a tangible way to show our solidarity and support and is paramount in the face of unrelenting climate change.”Between March and August 2022, Romania was affected by a severe drought caused by reduced rainfall. This had widespread consequences such as the failure of crops, forest fires, and scarcity of running and drinking water for the population in many regions.The EUSF assistance will cover part of the costs of emergency and recovery operations, such as rescue services and interventions to support the immediate needs ...

Harriette Cole: I’m in college, and I need my mom to stop with the panicky phone calls

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:01 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am about to be a senior in college, and I find myself in a challenging situation with my mom.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: My boyfriend’s Instagram posts make me worried that he did something wrong Advice | Harriette Cole: We split up a year ago, and I can’t stop thinking about him Advice | Harriette Cole: I want to shut down my friend’s snooping without a lot of drama Advice | Harriette Cole: My birthday wish list could get me in trouble with my family Advice | Harriette Cole: My two roommates are moving out, and I don’t believe their excuse Despite my being in college and striving for independence, she continues to exhibit helicopter-parenting tendencies. I understand that it is coming out of love, but she is constantly calling me, terrified about my well-being and telling me where I should and shouldn’t go on campus based on what she’s b...

Miss Manners: Am I wrong to insist my husband should take a bite of everything at a party?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:01 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When dining in someone’s home, the food is often served buffet-style so each guest can fill their own dinner plate.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: I was in tears after this stranger’s comment in the grocery store Advice | Miss Manners: Both teens are uncomfortable with the other mom’s comparisons Advice | Miss Manners: I want Florida woman to stop sending these texts Advice | Miss Manners: Our little boy’s striking hair prompts questions we’d rather not answer Advice | Miss Manners: Did they really think it was OK to say this in an obituary? My husband will bypass certain foods because he does not particularly like them. He is not allergic, nor does he find these foods revolting or otherwise distasteful. He just doesn’t enjoy them.In this situation, I believe one must sample every food the host has thoughtfully prepared — first, because ...

Dear Abby: The ex-wife is coaching her children to be mean to this little girl

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:01 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My grandson’s ex-wife is instructing their four children to “be mean” to his new 6-year-old stepdaughter. The children are all under 12.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: My boyfriend doesn’t want this woman to know about me Advice | Dear Abby: My son’s wife and mother-in-law are ganging up on him Advice | Dear Abby: I am furious that the bride disinvited my little girl from the high-profile wedding Advice | Dear Abby: My husband invites his friends and waltzes away from the hassle Advice | Dear Abby: Should my children forgive my cheating ex-wife? We do not speak to the ex-wife, but what can we do to stop this destructive behavior?— APPALLED IN GEORGIADEAR APPALLED: I am so glad you wrote. Your grandson’s former wife is behaving like a vengeful witch. That she would use the children to hurt a blameless child is appalling.You may be able to defuse som...