What’s happening today

A child writes in their school notebook during a home schooling session in Cremona, Alta., Monday, March 23, 2020, amid the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of students in Calgary will shift to online learning as of today in a bid to curb rising COVID-19 infection rates in the city. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
School set to resume: Students across Manitoba are set to resume classes virtually after a holiday break that was extended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Provincial health officials will also release the latest COVID-19 numbers after announcing a record 3,265 new infections on Friday. READ MORE
Thousands detained amid unrest: Kazakhstan says nearly 8,000 people were detained by police during protests that descended into violence in the former Soviet nation last week. The Associated Press reports. READ MORE
Talks amid tensions: U.S. and Russian officials launched talks aimed at easing tensions regarding the latter country’s military buildup on the border with Ukraine. The Associated Press reports. READ MORE
Apartment building blaze: Medical personnel are working to save the lives of multiple people suffering from smoke inhalation in what is already New York City’s deadliest fire in three decades. The Associated Press reports. READ MORE
Weather
Your forecast: Mainly sunny with a high of -19 C, wind chill as low as -42 and peak winds at 15 km/h from the west this morning. An extreme cold warning is in effect. READ MORE
In case you missed it

Philip Mikulec says a permanent parking program will likely lead to vehicles being added to Peg City Car Co-op’s fleet. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Permanent parking: The Winnipeg Parking Authority is proposing a permanent program to reserve parking spots for car-sharing vehicles. Four paid street spots and one parking lot space are dedicated to the shared vehicles through an ongoing pilot project. Joyanne Pursaga reports. READ MORE
Feeling the strain: The extreme cold and Omicron, the highly contagious COVID-19 variant, are making life even more difficult for the city’s homeless community. The pandemic is also putting a strain on shelters and missions, as some have suffered staff or volunteer shortages because of COVID-19. Chris Kitching reports. READ MORE
Outbreaks evident: Niigaan Sinclair’s latest column is on what Omicron’s spread means for First Nations in Manitoba. READ MORE
Tennis star saga: Novak Djokovic has won a court battle to play in the Australian Open, but the country’s government says it might cancel his visa a second time. READ MORE
Ousted leader sentenced again: Aung San Suu Kyi, the former Myanmar leader ousted in a military coup last year, has been sentenced to four more years in prison. The 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate was sentenced to prison time on other charges last month. The Associated Press reports. READ MORE
On this date

On Jan. 10, 1923: The Manitoba Free Press reported a meeting in Brandon was filled to overflowing as an organization of farm women grappled with solutions to problems such as the lack of rural education, illiteracy and the cost of health care. A University of Toronto committee overseeing production of insulin said it could only supply enough for 20 patients a day, but received 40 to 50 letters a day from various parts of the world seeking to obtain doses. Italian premier Benito Mussolini said he was against any new conflict in Europe.
Today’s front page
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