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5 things to know for Thursday, August 5, 2021

5 Things to Know
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TORONTO -

Canada has now fully vaccinated 68.25 per cent of the country's eligible population. Here’s what else you need to know to start your day.

1. 'A dire situation': The first “of a number of flights” carrying Afghan refugees who helped Canadian military personnel while deployed in Afghanistan has arrived in Canada

2. Back to school: School officials preparing to welcome students back to classrooms in September are outlining measures to keep everyone safe from COVID-19, but there’s growing concern about what that means for the youngest cohort

3. Real estate: Skyrocketing housing prices in 2021 are increasing the time it would take for homebuyers to save for a down payment, new data shows. 

4. Screen time: A sharp rise in the development of near-sightedness among children may be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study out of Hong Kong. 

5. Tokyo Games: Canada added two medals to its collection on day 13, bringing home silver in women's canoe sprint and a bronze in women's cycling. 

One more thing…

Durst testifies: New York real estate heir Robert Durst is expected to take the stand in his own defence in a Los Angeles County court Thursday in a rare move considered extremely risky for a defendant in a murder trial

Robert Durst holds a device to read the real time spoken script as he appears in the courtroom of Judge Mark E. Windham as attorney's begin opening statements in the trial of the real estate scion charged with murder of longtime friend Susan Berman, at Los Angeles County Superior Court, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool)

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BREAKING Feds cutting 5,000 public service jobs, looking to turn underused buildings into housing

Five thousand public service jobs will be cut over the next four years, while underused federal office buildings, Canada Post properties and the National Defence Medical Centre in Ottawa could be turned into new housing units, as the federal government looks to find billions of dollars in savings and boost the country's housing portfolio.

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