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Kenya declares a surprise public holiday for a national campaign to plant 15 billion trees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:47 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Kenyan government announced Monday a surprise public holiday on Nov. 13 for a nationwide tree planting day, part of its ambitious plan to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki made the announcement via a gazette notice posted on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, following a cabinet meeting held last week and chaired by President William Ruto.“The Government has declared a special holiday on Monday, November 13, 2023, during which the public across the Country shall be expected to plant trees as a patriotic contribution to the national efforts to save our Country from the devastating effects of Climate Change,” said Kindiki. Kenya’s current forest cover currently stands at about 7% but the government has set aside more than $80 million this financial year, as it bids to increase tree cover to more than 10%.Trees store carbon, one of the main drivers of global warming. In contrast, deforestation accelerates climate ch...

In the news today: Canadians in Gaza could soon cross into Egypt after list published

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:47 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…Canadians in Gaza could soon cross into EgyptCanadians looking to flee Gaza might soon be able to cross into Egypt, after a new document containing names of Canadians was published by the General Authority for Crossings and Borders in Gaza.The document, containing lists of “foreign passports”, potentially allows for Canadians in Gaza to cross into Egypt through the Rafah land border.The border crossing into Egypt is the only exit point for foreign nationals wishing to leave the Palestinian territory, which has been under constant bombardment since Israel launched retaliatory attacks for the Oct. 7 incursion by Hamas. Closing arguments expected in Peter Nygard’s trialThe jury in Peter Nygard’s sexual assault trial is expected to hear closing arguments from Crown and defence lawyers today. The 82-year-old former fashion mogul has pleaded n...

Small businesses still hoping for CEBA loan forgiveness extension as time runs out

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:47 GMT

OTTAWA — As the deadline to repay pandemic loans and receive partial forgiveness approaches, small businesses are still hoping the federal government will reverse course and extend it for another year.Nearly 900,000 organizations applied for and received a Canada Emergency Business Account loan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal program offered up to $60,000 in interest-free loans to help businesses and non-profits survive related shutdowns and slowdowns.A total of $49.2 billion was disbursed through the program.Up to one third of the loans can be forgiven if businesses pay back the outstanding amount by Jan. 18, 2024.Those that miss that deadline would lose out on the forgivable portion and see their debts converted to a three-year loan with interest of five per cent annually.Businesses were offered the chance to refinance their loans with a financial institution instead. Those that did were given until March 28, 2024, to get that in order and still be eligible for the forgi...

Funding for housing, food banks expected in Quebec economic update today

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:47 GMT

Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard is scheduled to present the province’s fall economic update this morning.Girard has said he plans to address issues of housing, homelessness and climate change adaptation in the update.Unlike last year’s economic update, Girard’s office has said this year’s economic update won’t include direct payments to Quebecers in order to offset the effects of inflation.Girard is expected to announce that some tax credits will be indexed to inflation and to announce funding for housing and food banks, as well as money to make up public transit deficits.The Opposition Liberals are calling for tangible measures to help Quebecers dealing with rising prices, including tax changes to reduce the cost of buying properties. The update comes one day after hundreds of thousands of public sector workers walked off the job for several hours, the first in an escalating series of strike actions announced after unions representing government wo...

Canadians in Gaza could soon cross into Egypt after names appear on official list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:47 GMT

Canadians looking to flee Gaza might soon be able to cross into Egypt, after a new document containing names of Canadians was published by the General Authority for Crossings and Borders in Gaza.The document, containing lists of “foreign passports”, potentially allows for Canadians in Gaza to cross into Egypt through the Rafah land border.In Canada, two women trying to help relatives leave the besieged Gaza Strip say they received information from Global Affairs that Canadians were tentatively set to start leaving via the Rafah crossing today.However, in its latest update, the department on Monday said only that it had been told last week by an arm of the Israeli military that more than 400 Canadians would be able to cross “in the coming days.”The Rafah crossing was closed over the weekend but reopened on Monday to allow the departure of foreign nationals whose names were on a preapproved list.The border crossing into Egypt is the only exit point for foreign ...

Indigenous soldiers determined to carry on family legacies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:47 GMT

Indigenous Peoples have been part of Canada’s military history dating back to the War of 1812, when it’s estimated more than 10,000 First Nations people fought. More than 7,000 Indigenous people later served in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. Many continue to serve today.Wednesday is National Aboriginal Veterans Day, which was first observed in Winnipeg in 1994.The Canadian Press spoke with three Indigenous soldiers about why they enlisted:Wendy Jocko, 63, from Pikwàkanagàn First Nation in OntarioJocko hails from generations of Canadian soldiers. The first was Constant Pinesi, an influential grand chief of the Algonquins, who fought with the British during the War of 1812.“It has been said that if it wasn’t for Indigenous warriors, Canada might not be Canada, because they were quite skilful in their tactics,” says Jocko.Four of her uncles served in the First World War, but only two came home. Her father and his six brothers fought in...

Media watchdog asks Pakistan not to deport 200 Afghan journalists in undocumented migrant crackdown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:47 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An international media watchdog is urging Pakistan not to deport more than 200 Afghan journalists who fled their homeland after the Taliban regained control in August 2021 as U.S and NATO forces withdrew following more than two decades of war.The plea by Reporters Without Borders comes a week after Pakistan launched a crackdown on undocumented foreigners, mostly an estimated 1.7 million Afghans.The crackdown began Nov. 1 after the expiration of a monthlong grace period for unregistered foreigners to leave voluntarily. Nearly 270,000 Afghans have returned home to avoid arrest and forced expulsion. They included some people who had lived in Pakistan for up to four decades. Some said they never registered with the U.N. refugee agency because Pakistani authorities were hospitable, and they didn’t imagine that they would be told to leave at short notice.The Afghans who are still in Pakistan include about 200 journalists as well as about 25,000 Afghans waiting for r...

Russia finalizes pullout from Cold War-era treaty and blames US and its allies for treaty’s collapse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:47 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia on Tuesday finalized its pullout from a key Cold War-era security deal, more than eight years after announcing the intention to do so, the Foreign Ministry said. The development came after both houses of the Russian parliament approved a bill proposed by President Vladimir Putin denouncing the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. Putin signed it into force in May this year. The treaty — aimed at preventing Cold War rivals from massing forces at or near mutual borders — was signed in November 1990, but not fully ratified until two years later. It was one of several major Cold War-era treaties involving Russia and the United States that ceased to be in force in recent years. Russia suspended its participation in 2007, and in 2015 announced its intention to completely withdraw from the agreement. In February 2022, Moscow sent hundreds of thousands of Russian troops into the neighboring Ukraine, which also shares a border with NATO members Poland, Slovakia...

Masks are back, construction banned and schools shut as toxic air engulfs New Delhi

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:47 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — A toxic blanket of grey smog hangs over New Delhi’s monuments and high-rises. Schools have been ordered shut and construction banned. People are back to wearing masks.In the Indian capital, it is that time of the year again. Authorities are struggling to rein in severe air pollution levels, an annual and chronic health crisis that disrupts the lives of over 20 million in the city every year.On Tuesday, the air quality index veered close to the 400 mark for tiny particulate matter, a level considered hazardous and more than 10 times the global safety threshold, according to SAFAR, India’s main environmental monitoring agency. It’s the fifth consecutive day of bad air in the region.“There’s too much smog. I’m watching the air quality index and I’m scared about this climate,” said Srinivas Rao, a visitor from Andhra Pradesh state who donned a mask as he took a morning walk near the city’s India Gate monument. Authorities have deployed water sprinklers and anti-sm...

TEA releases financial health report for Texas districts and charter schools

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Education Agency said Monday its report ranking the financial health of public school districts and charter schools in the state gave most systems a top grade. The TEA said school systems are assigned a letter grade and a matching financial management rating.They are A for Superior Achievement, B for Above Standard Achievement, C for Meets Standard Achievement and F for Substandard Achievement. According to the TEA, 88% of the 1,192 school systems rated A, 7% rated B, 5% rated C and 1% rated F.  All districts in the Austin area were rated A. Georgetown ISD gets high marks from state Here is a list of school district FIRST ratings. And here is a list of charter FIRST ratings. According to the TEA website, the agency released preliminary 2022-23 FIRST ratings on Aug. 7.The TEA said the 77th Texas Legislature established FIRST in 2001.