Israelis still protest legal overhaul despite suspension

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday against a controversial plan to revamp the country’s legal system, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suspension of the changes earlier in the week.

The protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial hub on the Mediterranean, for the 13th weekly demonstration, raising Israeli flags and banners against what they said were plans to weaken the Supreme Court. Several smaller rallies took place in other towns and cities.

The protests have been going on since Netanyahu’s government, the most right-wing in the country’s history, introduced the changes.

But on Monday, Netanyahu delayed the overhaul plan that deeply divided the Israelis, saying he wanted “to avoid civil war” by making time to seek a compromise with political opponents. Protest organizers, however, vowed to keep up the pressure, calling for the plans to be scrapped.

Manitoba classrooms not spared in school board budget

THE fine print in approved school board budgets reveals Manitoba classrooms will not be spared of cutbacks in 2023-24, despite a sizable increase in overall operational funding.

‘On hold’ marriage certificate piece of Vital Statistics backlog puzzle

A year-long odyssey to obtain a marriage certificate from the Manitoba Vital Statistics Branch has left a Winnipeg woman questioning whether her nuptials were ever legally registered.

Political will for national pharmacare questioned

OTTAWA - Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the government's plans for pharmacare are moving forward, but experts who study government drug plans suggest the Liberals may have lost the political will to take bold steps toward a national program.

People like Marc-André Gagnon were still holding out hope that spending would be set aside in Tuesday's federal budget to create a national, single-payer drug plan.

But though the Carleton University health policy professor said he was optimistic, he also admitted he wasn't surprised when there was no mention of pharmacare in the document.

"We don't see the political willingness anymore," Gagnon said in an interview Friday.

Consultant delivers dozens of ideas for areas inside 11 city-owned golf properties

A long-awaited consultant’s study on repurposing up to 30 per cent of Winnipeg-owned golf lands lists dozens of “opportunities” to use the sites in new ways, including a controversial call to lease or sell John Blumberg Golf Course.

Einarson attacked online by angry trolls

It’s every athlete’s dream to one day represent their country on the world stage.

Here's what 'friendshoring' means for Canada

OTTAWA - This year's budget reveals the federal Liberals envision Canada relying more on its allies for trade in the future, economists and geopolitical experts say — even if that could result in higher prices or missed opportunities.

"It's a reframing," University of British Columbia professor Vina Nadjibulla said after the budget's release this week. "It's essentially saying what we've been doing for the last 30 years of engagement is over."

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen coined the term "friendshoring" a year ago, saying allies should rely on each other to make supply chains more resilient, and defang hostile actors from taxing or withholding goods.

The Liberals have sent mixed messages in the past year on the extent to which they agree with that approach. Last October, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Canada was "decoupling" from China, but days later Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said she wanted to "re-establish ties" with Beijing.