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Immigration minister says she’s accountable after former IRGC official granted a visa
Immigration Minister Lena Diab says she’s accountable after a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official was granted a visa to visit Canada. But she says she didn’t know about the decision made by her department. Online news outlet Iran International reported Monday that Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj was granted a temporary resident visa…
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They sought help for son with mental illness. He ended up in jail
With their son in the throes of a mental health crisis last November, Bill and Faith Piersing did what they’d been told to do countless times before: They dialed 911. The couple were hoping for a helping hand to deescalate the situation and transport him to a hospital. Instead, the law enforcement officers who showed…
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The Venice Biennale jury resigns amid tensions over awards ban, Russian participation
MILAN (AP) — The international jury of the Venice Biennale resigned Thursday, just nine days before the world’s oldest and most important contemporary art fair opens, amid tensions over Russia’s participation and the panel’s decision to bar prizes for countries accused of crimes against humanity. The Biennale said in a statement that the jury, made…
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Ford promises no more inmates will be improperly released from jail
A “furious” Premier Doug Ford has promised to keep all inmates behind bars after news broke that more than 150 of them were improperly released from jails across Ontario over the last few years. Ford and Solicitor General Michael Kerzner both admitted that jails and courts have released inmates by mistake. “I’m getting down to…
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Trump urges extending foreign surveillance program as some lawmakers push for US privacy protections
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is set to take up the reauthorization of a divisive program that lets U.S. spy agencies pore over foreigners’ calls, texts and emails, with supporters like President Donald Trump saying it has saved lives while critics point to long-standing concerns about warrantless surveillance of Americans. A key provision of the Foreign…
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A look at Gabriola local governments AI technology policies
Hope Lompe Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Fire District content from Derek Kilbourn, Editor, Gabriola Sounder AI is rapidly changing how governments work, with several risks to be considered like personal and private information entered into data servers in countries outside of Canada. After the Sounder reported in the April 1 edition that the Islands Trust…
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N.S. exploring potential transit system linking Halifax to three rural communities
The Nova Scotia government is considering to build a new transit network to link Halifax with three rural communities, and looking for a partner for the proposed new service. The province issued a request for information Wednesday from potential service providers for a new system connecting the capital city with Truro, Wolfville and Bridgewater. It…
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National libraries group urges Alberta to ditch ‘political interference’ in libraries
An organization representing large public libraries across Canada warns Alberta’s proposed bill affecting libraries threatens “unprecedented” government overreach into organizations meant to be shielded from political control. The Canadian Urban Libraries Council is urging United Conservative Premier Danielle Smith’s government to ditch its proposed changes to Alberta’s law governing libraries in a bill currently before…
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford defends plan to increase jail capacity by thousands
Ontario Premier Doug Ford defended his government’s plan to build many more jails, saying the billions in cost will be worth it. Ontario’s jails are well over capacity and the overcrowding has been worsening for years under Ford’s tenure as premier. The province plans to add upward of 6,000 new jail beds by 2050, government…
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Stats cited by Danielle Smith’s office to kill story on EMS overtime contradicted by government’s own data
Last summer, an IJF investigation revealed that the amount of overtime worked by paramedics in Edmonton had increased by 81 per cent since 2021. The story was republished by several media outlets across Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. A day later, staff from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office and the Ministry of Hospital and…
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Doug Ford vows to find out how more than 150 inmates were improperly released
Ontario’s premier and solicitor general have vowed to figure out how the province’s jails improperly released more than 100 inmates over several years. Premier Doug Ford says the situation is unacceptable and he will get to the bottom of what happened. Global News unearthed government documents through freedom of information laws that show the province…