Bad offshore weather delays SpaceX crew launch until Friday
SpaceX on Wednesday bumped its next astronaut launch by a day because of dangerously high waves and wind offshore.
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Instagram launches feature to tackle hate speech, abuse
Facebook Inc's Instagram is rolling out a feature to prevent users from viewing possibly abusive messages by filtering offensive words, phrases and emojis on the photo-sharing app.
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'Will be the future': Canadian billionaire develops one-seat electric vehicle to fight traffic woes
A Canadian billionaire is developing a new vehicle he believes could solve congestion issues on city streets.
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EU outlines ambitious AI regulations focused on risky uses
Risky uses of artificial intelligence that threaten people's safety or rights such as live facial scanning should be banned or tightly controlled, European Union officials said Wednesday as they outlined an ambitious package of proposed regulations to rein in the rapidly expanding technology.
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Apple unveils new products, schedules privacy crackdown
Apple spruced up its product line at an event Tuesday while slipping in quiet notice of a software update, now due next week, designed to enhance the privacy of iPhone users at the expense of digital advertisers such as Facebook.
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90-year-old Hong Kong woman loses $39 million in phone scam
Hong Kong police have arrested a man after a 90-year-old woman lost around HK$247 million (C$39 million) in a scam.
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Lyrid meteor shower about to peak, but poor conditions expected for many Canadian viewers
The Lyrid meteor shower, known to occasionally produce vibrant fireballs, is expected to reach its annual peak between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, but the moonlight and clouds may pose a challenge for meteor watchers.
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Tyrannosaurus rex walked surprisingly slowly, new study finds
Tyrannosaurus rex was a fearsome predator, but it sure wasn't a particularly fast mover. In fact, most humans could easily keep up with the dinosaur without breaking a sweat, a new study says
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Kosovar biologist calls newly found insect after coronavirus
Kosovar biologist Halil Ibrahimi believes the pandemic restrictions haven't all been bad -- as a result of them, he completed his research, raised public awareness of the pollution of river basins and named a newly discovered insect after the virus.
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Astronauts flying reused SpaceX rocket, capsule for 1st time
For the first time, NASA is putting its trust in a recycled SpaceX rocket and capsule for a crew.
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The world wants more emoji diversity, new Adobe study finds
An overwhelming majority of people around the globe want emojis to be more inclusive and culturally distinct so they can show how they feel, according to a new Adobe study.
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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Climate and Environment
Trudeau pressured to adopt tougher emissions target for Biden climate summit
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under pressure to step up his commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in Canada within the next decade as he heads into a United States-hosted climate summit with global leaders.
EU reaches major climate deal ahead of Biden climate summit
The European Union reached a tentative climate deal that is intended to make the 27-nation bloc climate-neutral by 2050, with member states and parliament agreeing on new carbon emissions targets on the eve of a virtual summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.
Dalai Lama and 100 other Nobel Prize laureates call for fossil fuels to be phased out
As the world's most powerful leaders prepare to come together for the U.S. President Joe Biden's virtual climate summit, the Dalai Lama and 100 other Nobel Prize winners have a clear message for them: Keep fossil fuels in the ground.
DiCaprio, Fonda urge U.S. not to sign climate deal with Brazil
Dozens of celebrities including actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda and Joaquin Phoenix are calling on U.S. President Joe Biden to refrain from signing any environmental agreement with his Brazilian counterpart, Jair Bolsonaro.
Behind production of a top-selling bourbon, push to go green
Beam Suntory, producer of top-selling Jim Beam and Maker's Mark, both crafted in Kentucky, said Wednesday it wants to cut its companywide greenhouse gas emissions and water usage in half by 2030.
A68, the world's largest iceberg, has finally melted
An enormous Antarctic iceberg that became the most well-documented iceberg in history has melted into nothing in the Atlantic Ocean.
Johnson commits Britain to 78 per cent emissions cut in 14 years
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would cut carbon emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 in what he hailed as the world's most ambitious climate change target that would put the country on track to become a net zero producer.
Also roaring back from pandemic: earth-warming emissions
Global warming emissions are expected to spike this year as the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and economies begin to recover.
Liberals spend billions on clean technology, target private sector
Pushing the private sector to develop clean technology -- and heavy emitters to adopt it -- is where billions in new money will flow from the Liberals' 2021 budget pledge unveiled Monday to tackle climate change.
Canada
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Ontario's top doctor issues directive to cease all non-emergency surgeries immediately
Hospitals in the province are required to halt all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries immediately as people with COVID-19 continue to fill up hospitals and put the healthcare system under strain amid the third wave.
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Toronto police begin 'new enforcement approach' to stay-at-home order starting Thursday
Toronto police say they will begin a new approach to enforcing Ontario's stay-at-home order starting on Thursday.
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Judge grants Meng Wanzhou’s request to delay extradition hearing until August
A B.C. Supreme Court justice ruled on Wednesday afternoon to grant Meng Wanzhou’s defence team a three-and-a-half month adjournment in her extradition case.
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Lineups here, unused doses there: Are COVID-19 shots getting to the places that need them most?
Lineups at vaccine clinics in COVID-19 hot spots show a lack of resources in lower-income neighbourhoods with more marginalized communities, doctors say.
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'Impossible to find peace:' Spouse wants to see report on Nunavut RCMP shooting death
The spouse of a Nunavut man shot and killed by RCMP last year says she wants to see the report on the investigation into his death.
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NEW
NEW | First case of 'double mutant' COVID-19 variant confirmed in Quebec
A fifth COVID-19 variant has been reported in Quebec. The health department in the Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec region reported Wednesday that the B.1.617 variant, first sequenced in India, has been reported.
World
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U.S. Attorney General announces police probe day after George Floyd case verdict
The Justice Department is opening a sweeping investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis after a former officer was convicted in the killing of George Floyd there, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday.
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Biden preparing to recognize Armenian genocide: officials
U.S. President Joe Biden is preparing to formally acknowledge that the systematic killing and deportation of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in modern-day Turkey more than a century ago was genocide, according to U.S. officials.
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Oxygen supply disruption kills 22 COVID-19 patients in India
A local administrator in western India says 22 patients have died in a hospital when their oxygen supply was interrupted by a leakage in a supply tank.
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Columbus police fatally shoot Black teen swinging knife
Body camera footage from other officers released Wednesday in the fatal police shooting of Ma'Khia Bryant, a Black teenager who charged at two people with a knife, showed a chaotic scene that happened within minutes of the verdict in George Floyd's killing and ignited outrage by many over the continued use of lethal force by police in Columbus and the U.S.
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Israel says it strikes targets in Syria after missile attack
A missile launched from Syria struck southern Israel early Thursday, setting off air raid sirens near the country's top-secret nuclear reactor, the Israeli military said. In response, it said it attacked the missile launcher and air-defence systems in neighbouring Syria.
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Chad rebels threaten to depose slain president's son
Rebels in Chad threatened to depose the son of the country's slain president after he was named interim leader of the strategic central African nation, raising the spectre Wednesday of a violent power struggle.
Entertainment
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Prince fans pay respects at Paisley Park 5 years after death
Paisley Park, where Prince lived and worked, welcomed back select fans Wednesday to mark the fifth anniversary of his death from inside his creative sanctuary. Some wore custom Prince clothes and shoes and left flowers and other mementos as tributes to the late superstar.
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Jim Steinman, hitmaker for Meat Loaf and Celine Dion, dies at 73
Jim Steinman, the Grammy-winning composer who wrote Meat Loaf's bestselling 'Bat Out of Hell' debut album as well as hits for Celine Dion, Air Supply and Bonnie Tyler, has died.
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New 'Mortal Kombat' movie works as metaphor for world divisions, says Vancouver star
'Mortal Komba' may be based on a hit video-game franchise, but Vancouver-raised star Ludi Lin says it serves as an 'apt metaphor' for divisions in the world.
Health
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NEW
NEW | First case of 'double mutant' COVID-19 variant confirmed in Quebec
A fifth COVID-19 variant has been reported in Quebec. The health department in the Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec region reported Wednesday that the B.1.617 variant, first sequenced in India, has been reported.
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The U.S. is vaccinating millions of Americans daily, but here's why COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are up
Experts say COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. are continuing at an impressive pace, and now all Americans 16 and up can get a shot. But a leading health official said that the country remains in a 'complicated stage' of the pandemic.
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WHO eyes malaria eradication in 25 countries by 2025
A growing number of countries are stamping out malaria, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, as it launched an initiative to help eradicate the deadly disease in 25 more countries by 2025.
Politics
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Bloc MP apologizes for taking photo of Liberal MP nude during virtual Parliament
A Bloc Quebecois MP has apologized for taking a photo of a Liberal MP who appeared nude in a non-public view of the virtual House of Commons last week, but says he doesn't know how it was leaked.
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'We hope to help a little more': Biden says he spoke to Trudeau about more vaccines
U.S. President Joe Biden says the United States plans to provide Canada with more help in procuring COVID-19 vaccines.
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Federal government considering additional travel restrictions as variants surge
As Canada grapples with surging cases involving variants of concern, the federal government is considering travel restrictions to halt potential spread.
Sci-Tech
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Bad offshore weather delays SpaceX crew launch until Friday
SpaceX on Wednesday bumped its next astronaut launch by a day because of dangerously high waves and wind offshore.
-
Instagram launches feature to tackle hate speech, abuse
Facebook Inc's Instagram is rolling out a feature to prevent users from viewing possibly abusive messages by filtering offensive words, phrases and emojis on the photo-sharing app.
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'Will be the future': Canadian billionaire develops one-seat electric vehicle to fight traffic woes
A Canadian billionaire is developing a new vehicle he believes could solve congestion issues on city streets.
Business
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How America's CEOs reacted to the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict
Business leaders joined a chorus of Americans in applauding the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, while at the same time recognizing there's more work to be done to combat institutional racism.
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Bank of Canada keeps rate on hold, sees brighter economic outlook
The Bank of Canada provided a rosy revision to its economic outlook Wednesday but kept its key rate at 0.25 per cent in a sign that it won't count its chickens before they hatch.
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CP Rail asks U.S. regulator to rule on its and CN's rival Kansas City Southern bids
The CEO of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. says a rival bid for Kansas City Southern by Canadian National Railway Co. carries a bigger price tag but can't win U.S. regulatory approval because of its negative affects on competition.
Autos
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'Will be the future': Canadian billionaire develops one-seat electric vehicle to fight traffic woes
A Canadian billionaire is developing a new vehicle he believes could solve congestion issues on city streets.
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Indy 500 to host 135,000 in largest sports event in pandemic
The Indianapolis 500 is set to be the largest sporting event in the world since the start of the pandemic with 135,000 spectators permitted to attend 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' next month.
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Subaru recalls vehicles to fix engine, suspension problems
Subaru is recalling nearly 875,000 cars and SUVs in the U.S. because the engines can stall or a rear suspension part can fall off.
Lifestyle
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How has Canada's cannabis use changed since legalization and the pandemic?
The number of Canadians who use cannabis either occasionally or daily has increased in the three years since legalization, with more than one in three reporting an increase in their consumption during the pandemic.
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Family dog missing from Brandon, Man., turns up 2,400 kilometres away in Ontario
A family dog that went missing in Brandon, Man., turned up days later in an Ontario town more than 2,400 kilometres away from home.
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Bad news overload: pandemic blurs line between informing public and feeding anxiety
Scrolling through social media for COVID-19 updates has become a precarious activity for some Canadians, with news of the worsening pandemic becoming harder to escape. More than a year into the COVID-19 crisis, many are wondering: How much more bad news can we take?
Sports
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CFL pushing back start of season nearly two months because of COVID-19
The CFL is pushing back the start to its 2021 season and reducing the number of games played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Indy 500 to host 135,000 in largest sports event in pandemic
The Indianapolis 500 is set to be the largest sporting event in the world since the start of the pandemic with 135,000 spectators permitted to attend 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' next month.
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Women's world hockey championship, scheduled to be played in Nova Scotia, cancelled for second straight year
The 2021 Women’s World Hockey Championship, scheduled to begin May 6 in Halifax and Truro, N.S., has been cancelled by the Nova Scotia government.