Psychology

Africa: The cartographic (and demographic) truth

Gwynne Dyer 5 minute read Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025

Two Africa-based advocacy groups, Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa, launched a “Change the Map” campaign in April.

“When whole generations, in Africa and elsewhere, learn from a distorted map, they develop a biased view of Africa’s role in the world,” said Speak Up founder Fara Ndiaye — but hardly anybody outside Africa noticed.

That may be changing, because earlier this month the 55-member African Union endorsed the campaign, making it a diplomatic issue as well. The claim is that the traditional Mercator map of the world shows the African continent as hardly any bigger than Europe, whereas in reality it is at least four times as big.

That’s all very well, and it’s true that Mercator’s map projection dates from the 16th century, when European ocean-going ships were expanding and transforming everybody’s view of the world. But it’s also true that all flat maps distort the surface of a sphere (like the Earth) one way or another. Choose your poison, but you can’t have it all.

Gardening’s hidden benefits: How digging in the dirt could bolster mental wellbeing

Jessica Damiano, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Gardening’s hidden benefits: How digging in the dirt could bolster mental wellbeing

Jessica Damiano, The Associated Press 3 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

If you spend any time gardening, you probably understand what I mean when I say it feels good — despite the lifting, sweating and straining involved. Yes, exercise is good for our bodies, but there’s something about digging in the dirt while listening to a bird soundtrack that lifts my spirits. Even the scent of the soil and mulch makes me happy.

As it turns out, there are scientific reasons for this.

In fact, there’s an entire field called horticultural therapy that’s dedicated to using “plant-based and garden-based activities to support people who have identified treatment needs,” according to Karen Haney, a horticultural therapy instructor at UCLA Extension in Long Beach, California.

“Research suggests 20-30 minutes (of gardening) a few times a week can reduce stress and lift mood, with benefits increasing the more regularly one gardens,” says Sarah Thompson, a professionally registered horticultural therapist in Boise, Idaho.

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Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

This Aug. 21, 2025, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows a pair of hands holding a mound of soil on Long Island, N.Y. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

This Aug. 21, 2025, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows a pair of hands holding a mound of soil on Long Island, N.Y. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

Lawyer argues Meta can’t be held liable for gunmaker’s Instagram posts in Uvalde families’ lawsuit

Itzel Luna, The Associated Press 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A lawsuit filed by families of the Uvalde school shooting victims alleging Instagram allowed gun manufacturers to promote firearms to minors should be thrown out, lawyers for Meta, Instagram's parent company, argued Tuesday.

Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The families sued Meta in Los Angeles in May 2024, saying the social media platform failed to enforce its own rules forbidding firearms advertisements aimed at minors. The families, who were present at last month's hearing, did not appear in court, with a lawyer citing the back-to-school season. Many plaintiffs attended the hearing virtually, he said.

In one ad posted on Instagram, the Georgia-based gunmaker Daniel Defense shows Santa Claus holding an assault rifle. In another post by the same company, a rifle leans against a refrigerator, with the caption: “Let’s normalize kitchen Daniels. What Daniels do you use to protect your kitchen and home?”

Minnesota sues TikTok, alleging it preys on young people with addictive algorithms

Steve Karnowski, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Minnesota sues TikTok, alleging it preys on young people with addictive algorithms

Steve Karnowski, The Associated Press 3 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota on Tuesday joined a wave of states suing TikTok, alleging the social media giant preys on young people with addictive algorithms that trap them into becoming compulsive consumers of its short videos.

“This isn’t about free speech. I’m sure they’re gonna holler that," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said at a news conference. "It’s actually about deception, manipulation, misrepresentation. This is about a company knowing the dangers, and the dangerous effects of its product, but making and taking no steps to mitigate those harms or inform users of the risks.”

The lawsuit, filed in state court, alleges that TikTok is violating Minnesota laws against deceptive trade practices and consumer fraud. It follows a flurry of lawsuits filed by more than a dozen states last year alleging the popular short-form video app is designed to be addictive to kids and harms their mental health. Minnesota's case brings the total to about 24 states, Ellison's office said.

Many of the earlier lawsuits stemmed from a nationwide investigation into TikTok launched in 2022 by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from 14 states into the effects of TikTok on young users’ mental health. Ellison, a Democrat, said Minnesota waited while it did its own investigation.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

FILE - The TikTok logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays the TikTok home screen, Oct. 14, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

FILE - The TikTok logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays the TikTok home screen, Oct. 14, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

Searing heat draws visitors to California’s Death Valley, where it’s tough to communicate the risks

Dorany Pineda, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

Searing heat draws visitors to California’s Death Valley, where it’s tough to communicate the risks

Dorany Pineda, The Associated Press 7 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Ray Estrada's 11-year-old grandson is used to Las Vegas' scorching summers, but he'd always wanted to experience the heat in one of the Earth's hottest places. So Estrada recently drove him to Death Valley National Park, with an umbrella, extra water and electrolytes in tow. That day, the thermometer soared to 118 F (47.78 C).

“We have to be very careful when we go out there,” Estrada told him. “If you start feeling dizzy or whatever... we’re just gonna turn back and be safe so we can do this again another time.”

The extreme temperatures in this stretch of California desert attract visitors every year, some determined to finish a grueling, multiday race, others just curious about the sizzling heat and the landscape's vast beauty. Yet despite the warnings, the heat kills one to three people annually, and park rangers respond to overheated visitors multiple times per week, making communication about heat safety a priority for the National Park Service.

But that's easier said than done.

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Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

People walk up to an overlook at Zabriskie Point, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Death Valley National Park, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)

People walk up to an overlook at Zabriskie Point, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Death Valley National Park, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Ageism keeps rearing its ugly head

Pam Frampton 5 minute read Preview

Ageism keeps rearing its ugly head

Pam Frampton 5 minute read Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025

All the seniors’ discounts in the world can’t make up for the ageism that is rampant in our society.

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Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025

Pam Frampton

Ads featuring confident older women, like this one in Lecce, Italy, with the message ‘Because you’re unique’ — are too few and far between.

Pam Frampton
                                Ads featuring confident older women, like this one in Lecce, Italy, with the message ‘Because you’re unique’ — are too few and far between.

Key things to know about how Elon Musk has boosted hard-right figures in Europe

Erika Kinetz And Aaron Kessler, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Key things to know about how Elon Musk has boosted hard-right figures in Europe

Erika Kinetz And Aaron Kessler, The Associated Press 6 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

ROME (AP) — Elon Musk may have tumbled from political grace in Washington, D.C., but as he seeks to build a new political party, his power on X — where he commands the most popular account — remains unchecked.

Musk is a kingmaker on the platform he acquired in 2022 for $44 billion. He has used his influence to cultivate hard-right politicians and insurgent activists across Europe. A retweet or reply from Musk can lead to millions of views and tens of thousands of new followers, according to an Associated Press analysis of public data.

That fact has not been lost on influencers who have tagged Musk persistently, seeking a reply or a retweet. It has also fueled concerns in Europe about foreign meddling -- not from Russia or China, but from the United States.

“Every alarm bell needs to ring,” Christel Schaldemose, a vice president of the European Parliament who works on electoral interference and digital regulation, told AP.

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Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

FILE - Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FILE - Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Musk, a social media powerhouse, boosts fortunes of hard-right figures in Europe

Erika Kinetz And Aaron Kessler, The Associated Press 14 minute read Preview

Musk, a social media powerhouse, boosts fortunes of hard-right figures in Europe

Erika Kinetz And Aaron Kessler, The Associated Press 14 minute read Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

ROME (AP) — Hard-right commentators, politicians and activists in Europe have uncovered a secret to expanding their influence: engaging with Elon Musk.

Take the German politician from a party whose own domestic intelligence agency has designated as extremist. Her daily audience on X surged from 230,000 to 2.2 million on days Musk interacted with her posts. She went on to lead her party to its best-ever electoral showing.

Or the anti-immigration activist in Britain, who was banned from Twitter and sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court. Since Musk let him back on the platform in late 2023, he’s mentioned, reposted or replied to the billionaire more than 120 times on X — and gained nearly a million followers.

Even a little-known social-media influencer turned politician from Cyprus has benefited from the Musk effect. Before winning a surprise seat in the European Parliament, where he’s advocated for Musk, the influencer seemed to have one ambition: to hug the world’s richest man. He got his hug — and political endorsements. On days Musk has interacted with his account on X, the man’s audience exploded from just over 300,000 to nearly 10 million views.

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Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

AP Illustration / Marshall Ritzel

AP Illustration / Marshall Ritzel

Weekend Muslim conference attracts young adults from across Canada

John Longhurst 3 minute read Preview

Weekend Muslim conference attracts young adults from across Canada

John Longhurst 3 minute read Monday, Jul. 28, 2025

Muslim youth from across Canada gathered in Winnipeg on the weekend for a conference, the first of its kind in the country.

About 60 young adults travelled here for the event, which was sponsored by the Islamic Social Services Association of Winnipeg, to discuss a variety of issues, including legal and civil rights when dealing with the police, gender diversity, finding allies in the fight against Islamophobia and dealing with trauma and mental-health concerns.

Association board member and conference moderator Jamie Carnegie said there was a discussion about understanding how the media reports about Islam, and how to find reliable sources of information online.

“Muslim youth, like other youth, have many sources of information today,” Carnegie said. “Our goal was to help them find trusted sources and to understand what is being reported.”

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Monday, Jul. 28, 2025

JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS

Lila Mansour, who travelled from Ontario to attend the conference, says mental health is ‘a very serious issue for Muslim youth now.’

JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS
                                Lila Mansour, who travelled from Ontario to attend the conference, says mental health is “a very serious issue for Muslim youth now.”

Book Review: ‘Algospeak’ shows just how much social media is changing us

Rachel S. Hunt, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Book Review: ‘Algospeak’ shows just how much social media is changing us

Rachel S. Hunt, The Associated Press 3 minute read Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

How much has social media changed the way we talk and behave?

That’s the question linguist and content creator Adam Aleksic sets out to answer in his debut book “Algospeak.”

If you already know what words like “yeet,” “rizz,” “brainrot” or “blackpilled” mean, some of this information might not come as a surprise to you. Still, Aleksic’s analysis reaffirms how this language came about and why it continues to proliferate. For those unfamiliar, it acts as an accessible entry point into social media slang and its evolution.

“Algospeak” touches on a wide array of topics, including in-groups and out-groups, censorship, language appropriation, extremism online, microtrends, clickbait and generational divides. The chapters build on each other with a textbook-level attention to vocabulary.

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Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

This book cover image released by Knopf shows "Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language" by Adam Aleksic. (Knopf via AP)

This book cover image released by Knopf shows

First school year of cellphone ban well-received: minister

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Preview

First school year of cellphone ban well-received: minister

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Monday, Jun. 30, 2025

Sweeping restrictions on cellphone use in schools are here to stay, despite frustrations related to inconsistent enforcement and student workarounds during the 2024-25 rollout.

Manitoba banned phones in elementary classrooms last summer and introduced new rules to silence devices and keep them out of sight during Grade 9 to 12 lessons.

“How practical is that going to be in the real world? AI exists. Cellphones exist. Banning them is only going to make us sneakier,” said Diana Bonakdar, who just finished Grade 11 in Winnipeg.

Diana and Nadia Lovallo, the new co-presidents of the student council at St. Mary’s Academy, question the effectiveness of the policy and its long-term impact.

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Monday, Jun. 30, 2025

A person uses a cellphone in Ottawa on Monday, July 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Sean Kilpatrick

A person uses a cellphone in Ottawa on Monday, July 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Sean Kilpatrick

Tech industry group sues Arkansas over new social media laws

Andrew Demillo, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Tech industry group sues Arkansas over new social media laws

Andrew Demillo, The Associated Press 3 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A tech industry trade group sued Arkansas Friday over two new laws that would place limits on content on social media platforms and would allow parents of children who killed themselves to sue over content on the platforms.

The lawsuit by NetChoice filed in federal court in Fayetteville, Arkansas, comes months after a federal judge struck down a state law requiring parental consent before minors can create new social media accounts. The new laws were signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year.

“Despite the overwhelming consensus that laws like the Social Media Safety Act are unconstitutional, Arkansas elected to respond to this Court’s decision not by repealing the provisions that it held unconstitutional but by instead doubling down on its overreach,” NetChoice said in its lawsuit.

Arkansas is among several states that have been enacting restrictions on social media, prompted by concerns about the impact on children's mental health. NetChoice — whose members include Facebook parent Meta and the social platform X — challenged Arkansas' 2023 age-verification law for social media. A federal judge who initially blocked the law struck it down in March.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

FILE - Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs a bill requiring age verification before creating a new social media account as Sen. Tyler Dees, R-Siloam Springs, looks on during a signing ceremony, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at the state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark. (Thomas Metthe/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP, File)

FILE - Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs a bill requiring age verification before creating a new social media account as Sen. Tyler Dees, R-Siloam Springs, looks on during a signing ceremony, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at the state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark. (Thomas Metthe/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP, File)

Growing up Bombers: Football increasingly a family affair in Winnipeg

Taylor Allen 8 minute read Preview

Growing up Bombers: Football increasingly a family affair in Winnipeg

Taylor Allen 8 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 18, 2025

Nine months after a serious knee injury put his career in jeopardy, an emotional Chris Streveler stood before reporters, searching for words to describe what it meant to lead the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a season-opening victory last week.

He could’ve started with what it felt like to suit up in front of 32,343 Blue and Gold supporters again after a gruelling rehab, or spoken about his three touchdown passes and how they helped his team prevail 34-20 over the B.C. Lions.

Instead, the first place the quarterback went was his daughter, Sunny, and how much it meant to him to play in front of her for the first time.

“I think it’s just really different having a daughter now, and after the injury, I just think my perspective is really different on the game, and life in general, and I have more appreciation for these moments,” Streveler told the Free Press earlier this week as the Bombers prepare to meet the Lions in a rematch on Saturday at BC Place.

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Wednesday, Jun. 18, 2025

SUPPLIED

Winnipeg Blue Bomber Chris Streveler with fiance Taylor and their daughter Sunny.

SUPPLIED

Winnipeg Blue Bomber Chris Streveler with fiance Taylor and their daughter Sunny.

‘Elio’ is an intergalactic tale — but for Toronto’s Domee Shi, it hits close to home

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

‘Elio’ is an intergalactic tale — but for Toronto’s Domee Shi, it hits close to home

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

TORONTO - For Domee Shi, making a movie about an introverted kid getting abducted by aliens felt oddly familiar.

Not because she’s had any close encounters, but because she remembers being a teenager longing to be taken away to a world where her weirdness was understood.

The Toronto native co-directs “Elio,” a Pixar animated sci-fi film about an 11-year-old orphan who yearns to be snatched by extraterrestrials to escape his loneliness — and gets his wish when an interplanetary organization mistakes him for Earth’s ambassador.

“He's this lonely artsy kid who just wants to belong somewhere. I definitely felt that way growing up,” says the Oscar-winning animator behind 2022’s coming-of-age Toronto-set hit “Turning Red.”

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Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

A scene from “Elio,” a Pixar animated sci-fi film about an 11-year-old orphan who yearns to be snatched by extraterrestrials to escape his loneliness — and gets his wish when an interplanetary organization mistakes him for Earth’s ambassador, is shown in this handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Disney/Pixar *MANDATORY CREDIT*

A scene from “Elio,” a Pixar animated sci-fi film about an 11-year-old orphan who yearns to be snatched by extraterrestrials to escape his loneliness — and gets his wish when an interplanetary organization mistakes him for Earth’s ambassador, is shown in this handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Disney/Pixar *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Flin Flon’s school year comes to disappointing end for graduating evacuees

Maggie Macintosh 5 minute read Preview

Flin Flon’s school year comes to disappointing end for graduating evacuees

Maggie Macintosh 5 minute read Monday, Jun. 16, 2025

Homesick evacuees from the Flin Flon area were dealt another blow Monday when they learned an out-of-control forest fire had cancelled the rest of the school year in northwestern Manitoba.

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Monday, Jun. 16, 2025

SUPPLIED

Cassidy Alexander had photos taken recently wearing her graduation gown, but her high school in Flin Flon just announced the remainder of the school year, including graduation ceremonies, will be cancelled due to wildfires that forced the town’s evacuation.

SUPPLIED
                                Cassidy Alexander had photos taken recently wearing her graduation gown, but her high school in Flin Flon just announced the remainder of the school year, including graduation ceremonies, will be cancelled due to wildfires that forced the town’s evacuation.

Graduates far from home ‘grateful’ for honour at school powwow

Scott Billeck 4 minute read Preview

Graduates far from home ‘grateful’ for honour at school powwow

Scott Billeck 4 minute read Monday, Jun. 16, 2025

Grade 12 Tataskweyak Cree Nation student Jonah Wavey was among several wildfire evacuees honoured Monday during a special celebration of Indigenous graduates at the University of Winnipeg’s Duckworth Centre.

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Monday, Jun. 16, 2025

Ruth Bonneville / Free Press

Jonah Wavey, a grade 12 graduate from Tataskweyak Cree Nation, with his mom, Abbie Garson-Wavey, at the special graduation ceremony held by Winnipeg School Division in partnership with Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, for graduates from northern Manitoba communities evacuated due to wildfires.

Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
                                Jonah Wavey, a grade 12 graduate from Tataskweyak Cree Nation, with his mom, Abbie Garson-Wavey, at the special graduation ceremony held by Winnipeg School Division in partnership with Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, for graduates from northern Manitoba communities evacuated due to wildfires.

The bully is a person in our neighbourhood

Editorial 4 minute read Preview

The bully is a person in our neighbourhood

Editorial 4 minute read Friday, Jun. 13, 2025

A new kid moves into your neighbourhood. A loudmouth, pretty darned full of himself; “I’m the best, the bigly-est, the smartest person ever,” but you’re used to all sorts, even windbags, so you don’t pay him much mind.

And then one day as you’re walking by, he punches you in the face.

Later, he’s all smiles, and says “Let’s let bygones be bygones, we could be the bestest of friends.” And things get better for a bit, though he’s still insufferable.

Not long after, as you’re walking by, he comes up and punches you in the face, saying that you were mean to him.

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Friday, Jun. 13, 2025

Demetrius Freeman / The Washington Post

U.S. President Donald Trump

Demetrius Freeman / The Washington Post
                                U.S. President Donald Trump

Manitoba’s regional authorities spent over $35M last year in the ongoing effort to keep health-care workers safe

Nicole Buffie 9 minute read Preview

Manitoba’s regional authorities spent over $35M last year in the ongoing effort to keep health-care workers safe

Nicole Buffie 9 minute read Friday, Jun. 6, 2025

Last Christmas Eve, a man walked into Thompson General Hospital with a loaded rifle concealed in his clothing.

He moved through the emergency department and other areas — some full of patients — before taking an elevator to the second-floor chapel.

No one knows how long the 33-year-old man was in the facility. He was discovered by a patient who wanted to use the chapel for prayer.

The patient, hearing a commotion behind the locked doors, notified a nurse. Security was nowhere to be found.

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Friday, Jun. 6, 2025

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS

A sign is posted outside the entrance to the Health Science Centre Emergency Entrance stating no weapons are allowed.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS
                                A sign is posted outside the entrance to the Health Science Centre Emergency Entrance stating no weapons are allowed.

‘I hope that we don’t lose the town’: Snow Lake residents get mandatory evacuation order

Chris Kitching 7 minute read Preview

‘I hope that we don’t lose the town’: Snow Lake residents get mandatory evacuation order

Chris Kitching 7 minute read Friday, Jun. 6, 2025

Another wildfire-threatened town in northern Manitoba began a mandatory evacuation Friday, while a 140-kilometre-long blaze threatened multiple communities in two provinces and put evacuees on tenterhooks.

Snow Lake, home to about 1,100 people, ordered residents to get out before noon Saturday and head to an evacuation reception centre in Winnipeg if they need a place to stay.

“I put the sprinkler on my home, and locked the door and left,” resident Caroline Denby told the Free Press during her roughly seven-hour drive to Winnipeg. “I hope that we don’t lose the town. Everybody getting out is the main thing. I really trust our (fire) crew, and believe they’re really wonderful at what they do.”

Town officials started planning for a potential evacuation as early as about two weeks ago. A voluntary evacuation began Tuesday. Denby was ready to go when it became mandatory.

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Friday, Jun. 6, 2025

PROVINCE OF MANITOBA

Fire crews in Flin Flon on Thursday.

PROVINCE OF MANITOBA
                                Fire crews in Flin Flon on Thursday.

Preparing for the future: The importance of estate planning

3 minute read Preview

Preparing for the future: The importance of estate planning

3 minute read Friday, Jun. 6, 2025

Canada is currently undergoing the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history, but more than half of us aren’t ready. A recent study by IG Wealth Management (IG) uncovered that 54 per cent of Canadians don’t have an estate plan, leaving them and their loved ones unprepared for carrying out final wishes.

A well-crafted estate plan offers peace of mind by preparing for potential incapacity later in life and ensuring that your assets are distributed according to your wishes. It can also help reduce any tax burden on your beneficiaries. Key components to include in an estate plan include a will, healthcare directive, naming beneficiaries, purchasing life insurance and designating a power of attorney.

“It’s understandable that Canadians want to avoid thinking and speaking about death, but having these difficult conversations now and ensuring that a comprehensive plan is in place will make it easier in the future, both for yourself and your loved ones,” said Christine Van Cauwenberghe, Head of Financial Planning at IG Wealth Management.

Understanding an estate plan

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Friday, Jun. 6, 2025

Part toy, part fashion, the arrival of the viral Labubu was a long time in the making

Michelle Chapman, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Part toy, part fashion, the arrival of the viral Labubu was a long time in the making

Michelle Chapman, The Associated Press 4 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Labubu, the plush toy from China's Pop Mart is a social media darling, but the toothy little monsters are far from an overnight success. Having appeared a decade ago, Labubus may have finally cemented their place in the collectible toy market for years to come.

The Labubu, by artist and illustrator Kasing Lung, first appeared with pointed ears and pointy teeth, in three picture books inspired by Nordic mythology in 2015.

In 2019 Lung struck a deal with Pop Mart, a company that caters to toy connoisseurs and influencers, to sell Labubu figurines. But it wasn't until Pop Mart started selling Labubu plush toys on key rings in 2023 that the toothy monsters suddenly seemed to be everywhere, including in the hands of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and NBA star Dillon Brooks. K-pop singer Lisa of Blackpink began posting images of hers for her more than 100 million followers on Instagram and on TikTok, where Labubu pandemonium has broken out.

There are 1.4 million #Labubu TikTok posts and counting, videos of fans unboxing them, showing styles inspired by them, and of course, Labubu cosplay.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

This image provided by Pop Mart, shows Labubu, the plush toy from China’s Pop Mart. (Pop Mart via AP)

This image provided by Pop Mart, shows Labubu, the plush toy from China’s Pop Mart. (Pop Mart via AP)

Shiffrin says in essay she feels ‘like myself again’ after recovering from ski racing crash, PTSD

Pat Graham, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Shiffrin says in essay she feels ‘like myself again’ after recovering from ski racing crash, PTSD

Pat Graham, The Associated Press 4 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin finally feels “like myself again” after recovering from a ski racing crash last season and lingering post-traumatic stress disorder.

Shiffrin described in an essay for The Players’ Tribune released Friday the physical and mental hurdles she needed to clear after her serious spill during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vermont, on Nov. 30. In the crash, something punctured Shiffrin’s side and caused severe damage to her oblique muscles.

“Everyone knows what it feels like to have a bad cough. But PTSD … it’s not like that,” the 30-year-old from Edwards, Colorado, wrote. “It comes in all shapes and sizes. Everyone experiences it in their own way, and no two cases are exactly alike.”

Shiffrin was leading after the first run of the GS that day in Killington. With the finish line in sight on her final run, she lost an edge and slid into a gate, flipping over her skis. The all-time winningest Alpine World Cup ski racer then slammed into another gate before coming to a stop in the protective fencing. To this day, she doesn’t know what led to the puncture wound, only that it was "a millimeter from pretty catastrophic,” she told The Associated Press.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S. World Cup alpine skier, is interviewed at a NBCUniversal and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee press preview event to promote the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S. World Cup alpine skier, is interviewed at a NBCUniversal and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee press preview event to promote the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Toronto school board, firefighters warn of ‘dangerous’ social-media trends

Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Toronto school board, firefighters warn of ‘dangerous’ social-media trends

Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

TORONTO - The Toronto Catholic District School Board, along with some emergency responders, are warning parents about "dangerous" social-media challenges that are trending among students in Ontario schools.

The board said the challenges are recorded on video and shared online to encourage others to participate, but they can pose serious risks to students and the entire school community.

Among them is the so-called "paper clip challenge" that involves students inserting metal objects such as a paper clip into an electrical outlet and dropping a coin onto the prongs to cause electrical sparks.

The board said the "Chromebook challenge" involves placing paper clips, pencils or other objects into Chromebook USB ports to deliberately cause them to short-circuit, which can lead to overheating, burns or fire.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

An empty classroom is shown at a school in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

An empty classroom is shown at a school in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyers say ex-assistant’s social media posts undercut her rape allegation

Michael R. Sisak And Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyers say ex-assistant’s social media posts undercut her rape allegation

Michael R. Sisak And Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs ' lawyers confronted his rape-alleging former personal assistant on Friday with her social media posts praising the hip-hop mogul as a mentor, “my brother” and “friend for life” for years after she says he assaulted her.

Defense attorney Brian Steel quizzed the woman about some of the dozens of posts she made about Combs in the wake of the alleged rape, portraying the warm messages as contradictory to her claims that working for him was often toxic and terrifying.

The woman, testifying under the pseudonym “Mia" for a second day at Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial, read some of the messages aloud as they were displayed for jurors.

Mia told the jury that the posts were a facade: “Instagram was a place to show how great your life was, even if it was not true.”

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Assistant US Attorney Madison Smyser, center, asks Special Agent Gerard Gannon, far right, to stand and show the jury the high heeled platform red shoes found along with fire arms during a search of Combs' Star Island residence during Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan federal court, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

Assistant US Attorney Madison Smyser, center, asks Special Agent Gerard Gannon, far right, to stand and show the jury the high heeled platform red shoes found along with fire arms during a search of Combs' Star Island residence during Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan federal court, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)