Travel news

WASHINGTON — In one of several testy exchanges during a U.S. Senate hearing this week, the country's secretary of homeland security was pressed to explain a new policy that allows customs agents to examine the cellphones of travellers at the border."I want to make sure I understand this. I live an hour's drive from the Canadian border," said Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy."If I go to Canada and visit some of my wife's relatives, and I come back ... they (can) say, 'We want your laptop and your

EDMONTON — Scientists have figured out how hydraulic fracking causes earthquakes in northern Alberta, but they have a way to go before they can use that knowledge to predict if it will cause temblors in other areas."Right now, there isn't a good solution for how to do that with induced earthquakes," said Ryan Schultz of the Alberta Geological Survey and lead author of a paper published Thursday on the hundreds of quakes that have occurred around the Duvernay oil and gas field since 2013.Th

Jane Arscott, Athabasca UniversityTime is up for gender injustice. Women want to see their human rights respected. Rights to personal safety, economic security and meaningful participation lead the to-do list for 2018. Equality and equity, fairness and justice will follow.This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights has invited us all to Take Action to promote, defend and reflect on the meaning and r

British beauty Youtuber Amena Khan is one of the new ambassadors for L'Oréal Paris' Elvive hair campaign in the U.K. And she wears a hijab.The blogger and model, who also worked with the French brand in 2017 for a collaboration with The Prince's Trust, is the first hijab-wearing woman to be featured in a major hair advertisement, according to Glamour."How many brands are doing things like this? Not many. They're literally putting a girl in a headscarf — whose hair you can't see &mda

HALIFAX — The recent mix-up of bodies at a Nova Scotia funeral home is unacceptable and should never happen again, a provincial cabinet minister said Thursday.Service Nova Scotia Minister Geoff MacLellan said the tragic mistake is being investigated by the Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, which regulates funeral homes and includes one of his staff members."This can't happen again," MacLellan, whose department issues licences for funeral homes, said foll

For requests, general questions or information about the blogger agreement contributors must agree to upon creating an account, please email the blog team at [email protected] and reviewWhat basic requirements should blog posts meet?We publish well-written opinion pieces, expert advice, and personal stories that share universal life lessons, particularly of relevance to Canadians. You can submit a first-person blog that is between 500 and 1,000 words. Be sure to include hyperlin

It is blatantly apparent that the time of reckoning for sexual harassment has finally arrived. Every day the name of a new high powered figure is added to the chorus of accusers and accusations, ultimately bringing in its wake shame and career-altering consequences. Methods formerly used by political figures, stars, top executives, directors and producers to cover up their wrongdoings is no longer workingThe proclivity for paying hush money to victims, and forcing them to sign heavy-handed non-d

As expected, the number of flu cases has risen over the last few weeks. Not surprisingly, public health officials are doing what they can to promote the best ways to prevent infection, including promoting the influenza vaccine. But the results of their efforts continue to be plagued by the realization that the majority of the Canadian population doesn't seek vaccination.The reasons behind this apparent rejection of this proven method to stay safe are many. One happens to deal with the effectiven

Dear Canada,We're the future, correct? Well then, and perhaps this may come as a surprise to you, but your future's well-being is far from what it needs to be.Canada, are you surprised? So are we. We're surprised when we hear of another 17-year-old who has committed suicide because of the lack of funding for mental health services. We're surprised when we hear of another eight-year-old girl who's had to go to school hungry because of the financial inequality her family faces. We're surprised at

Just holding your fruits and veggies under a running tap doesn't always cut the mustard. Pesticides and fungicides are designed to stick to produce, even in inclement weather, so if you want your fresh goodies to be chemical free, it's going to take a little more work.You can wash your fruit and veggies in water, rub with a cloth, or soak in a cleaning solution like vinegar, salt or baking soda, but what really works?Washing fruit and vegetables with running water is good for at least reducing t

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The parents of 13 siblings who were allegedly held in captivity in their family's Southern California home were charged Thursday with committing years of torture and abuse that left their children malnourished, undersized and with cognitive impairments."Severe, emotional, physical abuse,'' Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in announcing numerous charges against David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49. "This is depraved conduct.''Prosecutors

LOS ANGELES — The grandparents of 13 starved and tortured children say their son's family looked happy and healthy when they last visited California six years ago."They were just like any ordinary family," said Betty Turpin, the 81-year-old mother of David Turpin. "And they had such good relationships. I'm not just saying this stuff. These kids, we were amazed. They were 'sweetie' this and 'sweetie' that to each other."Betty Turpin and her husband James Turpin of Princeton, W.Va. visited h

As the #MeToo campaign stole headlines globally in late 2017, a few others were ignored. In fact, we have been ignoring them for years. Here is but a sampling:"Halifax fire department sorry for discrimination against women, but no men punished" (December 2017)"'I'm not signing it': Correctional officer says superiors tried to buy her silence after week of 'hazing'" (November 2017)"RCMP facing sexual harassment, discrimination claims from roughly 1,100 women" (November 2017)The horrifying, violen

Getting fluent in a foreign language is a matter of motivation. Having seen a lot of language learners, I am convinced that only motivated learners achieve fluency.The TEDx talk by professor Scott Geller is highly relevant to the pursuit of fluency in a foreign language. In particular, the three questions that are asked in the video.Can I become fluent in a foreign language?I know that I didn't really believe I could do it over 50 years ago, until I did it in French. I have never doubted my abil

TORONTO — Police in Toronto say a 66-year-old man is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the presumed deaths of two men who disappeared in the city's gay village.Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman were reported missing from the Church and Wellesley streets area at separate times last year.Bodies have not yet been foundDet. Sgt. Hank Idsinga told a news conference that Bruce McArthur, of Toronto, was arrested and charged Thursday morning."We believe he is responsible for the deaths

Canadians are more worried about U.S. President Donald Trump and the actions of his administration than ever, according to a new poll.Seventy per cent of respondents in a new Angus Reid Institute (ARI) survey expressed a negative opinion about the American leader, who marks his first year in power on Saturday. Just one-in-eight (13 per cent) said they had a positive view.There isn't much optimism for the rest of Trump's term, either. Seventy-seven per cent of respondents said they were concerned

It's common for expectant parents to experience morning sickness, especially during their first trimester. That's why it's good to know that medication exists to help combat the nausea and/or vomiting that can occur at any time of the day.But according to Canadian researchers, Diclectin (pyridoxine-doxylamine), the drug most commonly prescribed for morning sickness, may not be effective.Dr. Nav Persaud, a researcher and family physician at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital, re-analyzed data from

TORONTO — Inmates with mental health disabilities will no longer be placed in solitary confinement barring exceptional circumstances under an agreement announced Thursday between the Ontario government and the province's human rights commission.The consent order issued by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario mandates the province end the use of segregation for the mentally disabled across its 26 correctional facilities."The order confirms that the government must take immediate action to e

On Jan. 3, 2018, Intel announced that most of its chip processors that run the world's computers, tablets and smartphones have a feature that makes them susceptible to hacker attacks. The flaw also affects internet browsers and cloud computing services like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.Specifically, the problem is that processors have the ability to guess what data is going to be needed next by an application and load it into cache memory ready to be executed. The securi

KENSINGTON, P.E.I. — A P.E.I. police force is taking a light-hearted approach to a strange and dangerous online trend.An officer with Kensington police posted a video on its Facebook page describing the dangers of eating laundry detergent pods.In the seven-minute video, Const. Robb Hartlen reminds people that a banana and Timbit are safe to eat, but that a Tide pod or Timbit package are not.'Feel free to give them an orange'Sitting in his police cruiser, Hartlen says people tempted to do t

Canada's innovation minister has a blunt message for corporations claiming they don't have the talent to create diverse leadership teams."That's a bunch of bullshit," Navdeep Bains told students at the University of Windsor Wednesday.In a clip from CBC News, Bains poured cold water on an excuse used by some in corporate Canada who claim to struggle to promote women or minorities, saying there's an "enormously talented pipeline" out there.Bains noted, for example, that the Institute of Corporate

On January 8, Ontario Minister of Labour Charles Sousa was taking questions from the press at Queens park around the new Ontario Minimum wage, which has risen to $14 an hour.Throughout the interview, Sousa mentioned, at least twice, the curious case of the market acting counter-intuitively in response to the increase. He made this reference in response to the two kinds of stories that are being highlighted in the media.The first, of large organizations and franchises punishing employees for the

Lupita Nyong'o is using her celebrity to teach kids a very important lesson: everyone is beautiful, regardless of their skin colour.On Wednesday, the Kenyan-Mexican actress revealed on social media that she has written a children's book called Sulwe, which means "star" in the Luo dialect, Dholuo, spoken by the Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania."Sulwe is a dark skinned girl who goes on a starry-eyed adventure, and awakens with a reimagined sense of beauty," Nyong'o revealed on Instagram. "She enco

At this time of year, many of us are making New Year resolutions. The most common resolution is "giving." The tough questions are: Who do you want to give to? Through what channel? How often do you want to give? What is the best way to give?Rather than cutting a cheque or dropping some money in a collection can, ensure your donation is most effective by following a smarter giving strategy.Using your head as much as your heart when giving is important, so ensure you're giving to a charity/cause t

Toronto is the only Canadian city on Amazon Inc.'s short list of 20 candidates for a second North American headquarters.The e-commerce giant received 238 applications for the opportunity and says narrowing it down to 20 was very tough.The other 19 locations it will consider are all in the U.S. and include New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver and Nashville.Amazon says it plans to choose the location later this year after diving deeper into the proposals from its top cities.An Amazon spokes

I didn't have my first orgasm until I was 21. It surprises some people when I break this story out, because I'm seen as a very sexual person among my circle of friends.I was in a coffee shop with my friend Clara. We were talking about sex. I'd been sexually active for five years already, since 16. But I'd never had an orgasm, and no guy I'd been with had ever seemed to think twice about that. While it's true that I hadn't yet been in a long-term relationship, I'd had lovers and one-night stands

Written by Sybil Millar, Communications Advisor for the Ross Tilley Burn Centre, Critical Care and Infectious Diseases programs at Sunnybrook.We're only a few days into 2018, but there have already been a large number of fatal house fires across Canada."It's an alarming and tragic trend," says Dr. Marc Jeschke, Director, Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook.While there doesn't appear to be any one cause for the sudden increase in fires, there are steps that everyone can take to keep themselves

OTTAWA — Faith-based organizations are welcome to seek federal funding to create summer jobs for youth, the Liberal government says, but it has not budged from a new requirement that recipients demonstrate they respect a woman's right to have an abortion.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he is willing to work with churches and other religious groups that have expressed their concerns over the new application process for the Canada Summer Jobs program, which requires applicants to atte

Brazil has flooded large swaths of the Amazon for hydro dams, despite opposition from Indigenous Peoples, environmentalists and others. The country gets 70 per cent of its electricity from hydropower. Brazil's government had plans to expand development, opening half the Amazon basin to hydro. But a surprising announcement could halt that.In an interview with O Globo, Mines and Energy Executive Secretary Paulo Pedrosa said the government is reconsidering hydro construction in the face of societal

They're the prince and princess of gratitude.After announcing their engagement in November, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly received thousands of cards congratulating them on their upcoming nuptials.After sifting through the messages (who are we kidding, they totally had their minions do this), the couple — via their home, Kensington Palace — sent lucky well-wishers thank you cards nearly two months later.Sent a congrats cards to @KensingtonRoyal and got this lovely respons

Like most females, I am not the least bit surprised by the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault brought to light by the recent #MeToo movement. The only thing that's shocking is that it's taken this long for society to acknowledge it. Personally, I could write enough pages to rival War and Peace if I were to document every time — starting from childhood — I had been shamed/disparaged about my gender, sexually harassed and, in a few cases, assaulted.As a female psychotherapist,

The largest private sector union in Canada said Wednesday it is splitting with the Canadian Labour Congress over issues which include disagreements about the rights of workers to choose what union should represent them.In a notice posted on its website, Unifor national president Jerry Dias and Quebec director Renaud Gagne said the congress has also been less than supportive of their concern about American-based unions "trampling on the rights" of workers."Our union is opposed to any union that t

TORONTO — The family of an 11-year-old Toronto girl has reportedly apologized for the "pain and anger" they caused, after the girl's claim that a man cut her hijab turned out not to be true."This has been a very painful experience for our family," said the statement, first reported by the Toronto Star."We want to thank everyone who has shown us support at this difficult time. Again, we are deeply sorry for this and want to express our sincere apologies to every Canadian."Toronto police beg

TORONTO — The family of an 11-year-old Toronto girl has reportedly apologized for the "pain and anger" they caused, after the girl's claim that a man cut her hijab turned out not to be true."This has been a very painful experience for our family," said the statement, first reported by the Toronto Star."We want to thank everyone who has shown us support at this difficult time. Again, we are deeply sorry for this and want to express our sincere apologies to every Canadian."Toronto police beg

Canadian TV news anchor Ashleigh Banfield says she felt compelled to publicly challenge the sexual assault accusations against comedian Aziz Ansari because the "injustice" risked harming the #metoo and Time's Up movements.The Winnipeg native made headlines for Monday night's on-air open letter during her HLN show "Crime & Justice with Ashleigh Banfield," in which she responded to an anonymous woman who has accused Ansari of "sexual assault" and subjecting her to "the worst night of (her) lif

OTTAWA — A budding cross-border data exchange with the United States is quietly helping Canada crack down on immigration violators.The federal government has flagged more than 1,000 possible cases of people overstaying their visas or committing other immigration infractions based on information provided by the United States, newly obtained memos show.Under a 2011 continental security pact, Canada and the United States agreed to set up co-ordinated systems to track the entry and exit inform

OTTAWA — Global Affairs Canada says it's aware of reports that two Canadian citizens have been kidnapped in Nigeria.Spokesman John Babcock says consular officials in Nigeria are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information.Babcock says further details can't be released for privacy reasons.A state police spokesman says gunmen ambushed two Canadians and two Americans travelling through Nigeria's northern Kaduna state, kidnapping them and killing two policemen.Kaduna sta