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 to unveil Canada's new 2030 emissions target as groups push it to be higher
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to announce today what Canada's new targets will be for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade.
Biden opening summit with ambitious new U.S. climate pledge
U.S. President Joe Biden will open a global climate summit with a pledge to cut at least in half the climate-wrecking coal and petroleum fumes that the U.S. pumps out, a commitment he hopes will spur China and other big polluters to speed up efforts of their own.
Japan raises emissions cut target to 46 per cent by 2030
Japan said Thursday it will raise its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target to 46 per cent on 2013 levels from 26 per cent
2020 was Europe's hottest year on record: EU scientists
Europe experienced its hottest year on record last year, while the Arctic suffered a summer of extreme wildfires partly due to low snow cover as climate change impacts intensified, the European Union’s observation service said on Thursday.
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.
Canada
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Ontario premier to hold virtual news conference while isolating after exposure to COVID-19
Ontario Premier Doug Ford will hold a virtual news conference Thursday as he isolates in Toronto following exposure to a staffer who tested positive for COVID-19.
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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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Trudeau to unveil Canada's new 2030 emissions target as groups push it to be higher
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to announce today what Canada's new targets will be for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade.
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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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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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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.
World
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'Pervasive racism' left thousands of British Empire war dead uncommemorated
The British government and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has apologized after an investigation found that at least 161,000 mostly Africans and Indians who died fighting for the British Empire during the First World War weren't properly honoured due to 'pervasive racism.'
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Missile from Syria lands in Israel, triggers Israel strike
A Syrian anti-aircraft missile landed in 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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Indonesia looking for submarine that may be too deep to help
Indonesia's navy ships on Thursday were intensely searching for a submarine that likely fell too deep to retrieve, making survival chances for the 53 people on board slim. Authorities said oxygen in the submarine would run out by early Saturday.
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Kremlin downplays pro-Navalny rallies after nearly 1,800 detained
The Kremlin on Thursday downplayed opposition protests in support of jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny that saw nearly 1,800 people detained across Russia.
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Russia holds major drills in Crimea amid Ukraine tensions
The Russian military on Thursday conducted massive drills in Crimea involving dozens of navy ships, hundreds of warplanes and thousands of troops in a show of force amid tensions with Ukraine.
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Virginia police officer fired after reports of donation to Kyle Rittenhouse
A Norfolk police officer has been relieved of his duty after an internal investigation into reports that he donated and expressed support for the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse, who is facing two felony charges of homicide in the deaths of two men and a felony attempted homicide charge in the wounding of another man during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Entertainment
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No masks, no distancing and a 4,000-strong crowd at next month's Brit Awards, as U.K. restarts live events
The U.K.'s flagship music awards ceremony, the Brits, will go ahead with a 4,000-strong crowd, no social distancing and no masks next month, as part of a government trial that offers a peek at how large events can operate in a post-pandemic world.
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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.
Health
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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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AstraZeneca advice from national panel delayed by new data on COVID-19 and variants
Canada's chief public health officer says new information on COVID-19 and variants prompted the National Advisory Committee on Immunization to suddenly cancel its planned announcement on who should get the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
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Feelings of isolation worse now than at any point during pandemic: report
A year into the pandemic, a new mental health report by Morneau Shepell says that isolation is taking its greatest toll yet on Canadians.
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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Pattie Lovett-Reid: Fixer-upper or move-in ready, which makes most sense for you?
On CTVNews.ca, Chief Financial Commentator Pattie Lovett-Reid offers advice for potential homebuyers consdering a fixer-upper versus a move-in ready house. Which makes most sense to you?
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World shares mostly higher after advance on Wall Street
World shares rose Thursday after a broad advance on Wall Street as corporate earnings suggested the economy was on the mend from the pandemic.
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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.
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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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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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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Vancouver Island man builds incredible treehouse, turns it into Airbnb
Many of us are proud of our pandemic projects, all the things we wouldn't normally have been able to do without some extra time on our hands.
Sports
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Tokyo Olympics torch relay has first positive COVID-19 case
Tokyo Olympics organizers said Thursday that a policeman tested positive for COVID-19 a day after his assignment last week at the Olympic torch relay.
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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.