Manitoba appoints Canada’s first judge of reconciliation

The Manitoba government has appointed provincial court Judge Jerilee Ryle as associate chief judge of reconciliation, the first appointment of its kind in Canada.

Man fatally shot by police during domestic call in St. Vital

A 26-year-old man was fatally shot by Winnipeg police during a domestic situation in which children were present Friday — the city’s first such shooting where evidence will include video from an officer’s body-worn camera.

Province to backstop Siloam Mission operations amid cash crunch

The Manitoba government said Friday it will provide funding to cash-strapped Siloam Mission to keep its overnight shelter and drop-in centre open until March 2027.

The move is expected to avert service reductions that were set to take effect July 1 and were in response to the charity’s drop in donations.

The organization, which helps the homeless population, had announced it would eliminate 16 positions and reduce drop-in hours in response to its projected $4.4-million deficit. It’s unclear whether the funding will prevent layoffs.

Siloam said Friday it would wait for the province to officially announce the funding before commenting.

Never mind playing catch — there was plenty of bonding to do with dad at the cinema

My dad didn’t teach me how to hammer a nail, change the oil in a car, or tie a knot that wouldn’t slip. But afternoons shared with him in a dark cinema shaped who I am in ways I was slow to fully appreciate.

Support for Lewis-led federal NDP moves ahead of Tories in some Winnipeg suburbs, poll reveals

The federal New Democratic Party under new leadership is seeing a resurgence in Winnipeg, and has jumped past the Conservatives in some suburban neighbourhoods, new polling data says.

A Free Press-Probe Research poll released this week found that Liberals have the support of 54 per cent of the voters surveyed in Winnipeg, down marginally from 55 per cent in March. Support for the NDP jumped to 16 per cent, up from 10 per cent in March.

The Conservative party has lost some ground in the city — 26 per cent of those surveyed said they’d vote for the party if an election “was held tomorrow,” down from 32 per cent last month, and the lowest percentage in more than two years.

Across Manitoba, NDP support jumped from eight per cent in March to 14 per cent. Conservatives were down four points from 39 per cent in March and Liberal support rose to 47 per cent from 46 per cent.

Israel and Hezbollah agree to halt fighting, officials say, as US-Iran talks hang in the balance

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group agreed Friday to halt the heavy fighting in southern Lebanon that had threatened to unravel an interim agreement between the United States and Iran to end their war, officials said. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah immediately confirmed the truce.

It came after a heavy exchange of fire killed 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers.

Hezbollah and Israel went to war shortly after the outbreak of the wider conflict, with Hezbollah firing rockets and drones at civilian communities in northern Israel and Israel seizing large swaths of southern Lebanon.

The interim agreement to end the Iran war has already reopened the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively closed, cutting the global economy off from significant supplies of oil and natural gas. The deal would also relaunch talks on Iran’s nuclear program, the core issue over which Israel and the U.S. began the war on Feb. 28.

Vancouver festivities spilled into the streets after Canada’s historic first men’s win

The soccer gods finally smiled down on team Canada Thursday as the home side hammered Qatar 6-0. To boot, it was the first win in World Cup history by Canada’s men.

What a spectacle. Over 52,000 fans, most donning the Maple Leaf, got their money’s worth — and that’s saying something given the ticket prices — as Canada put shot after shot on net at Vancouver Stadium.

It was a dream come true.

Canada came out strong, was up by three goals and a man at halftime — after Homan Ahmed was shown a red card — then cruised to victory on the back of a Jonathan David hat trick — another first for Canada at a World Cup.

Longtime River Heights councillor to leave politics

Coun. John Orlikow will not run for re-election in his River Heights-Fort Garry ward, after serving 17 years in the role.

The councillor announced Friday he will not seek another term in the Oct. 28 municipal election.

“It’s really just time for me to do something different. I’ve been doing this for 17 years. I had 10 years (at) school board. I kind of want to try the private life … find … my own path,” said Orlikow, 57.

The city councillor spent 10 years as a trustee for the Winnipeg School Division before he was elected to represent River Heights-Fort Garry in a 2009 byelection. He has been re-elected in each municipal election since.

A founder of Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft killed in a plane crash in western France

PARIS (AP) — A founder of global gaming company Ubisoft, maker of Assassin’s Creed, was killed in a plane crash in western France, authorities said Saturday.

The twin-motor Cessna 421 carrying Claude Guillemot and a flight instructor crashed Friday evening near La Baule airport on the Atlantic coast, Mayor Franck Louvrier said in a statement. Both were licensed and experienced pilots. The instructor also was killed, the mayor said. An investigation is underway.

Ubisoft confirmed Guillemot's death but did not comment further.

The plane crashed in a field just before landing at La Baule-Escoublac Airport, an airport official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named.

Beers, braids and bonding: Hairstyle classes for dads aim to challenge gender norms

WINNIPEG - With a hairbrush in one hand and a craft beer in the other, Curtis Einarson takes a seat behind a mannequin head with long, vibrant pink and blue hair.

The father of three young girls is one of a dozen dads sitting in the corner of Sookram's Brewing Co., in Winnipeg on a recent Wednesday evening. The goal is for them to upgrade their limited hairstyling skills.

"Average at best. I can do a ponytail, I think OK. Maybe ask (my daughters)," Einarson said when describing his prior proficiency in styling girls' hair.

A post on the social media site Reddit led Einarson to the Beers and Braids event.