News roundup, 5 Aug 2026

- Over 80% of the new vehicles registered in Denmark in July were electric. For cars purchased by individuals rather than corporations, this rises to 97%. EVs also account for nearly 25% of new vehicles purchased in Australia in the first half of this year. Doubtless the spike in fuel prices as a result of the US/Israel attack on Iran is a major factor.

- Leftwing candidate Abdul El-Sayed appears to be in the lead in the Democratic primary for a Michigan Senate seat that will be up for grabs this fall. Should he win the primary and the election he will be the first Muslim senator in the US.

- St. Catharines, Ontario was hit by severe flooding after two major storms hit the city within a few days. Thousands of homes were damaged

- A Russian soldier in Crimea reportedly opened fire on his comrades as well as on civilians, killing four people and wounding four others. 

- Both Morocco and Spain are saying that the surge of migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta was not spontaneous, but rather was driven by online misinformation, possibly spread by people in the human smuggling business. This has yet to be confirmed, however.

- The Winnipeg Sea Bears have confirmed suspicions that it was nightclub security who injured star player Teddy Allen on the weekend. Allen's injuries were significant enough that he will be missing Thursday's playoff game; police are investigating the incident.

- A Florida evangelist took advantage of an Alaska Airlines plane whose takeoff was delayed in San Diego last week to stand in the aisle and preach at her captive audience. The airline was less than amused and removed her from the flight.

News roundup, 3 June 2026

- Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen has finally managed to put together a functional coalition government after drawn-out negotiations since the election in March. Frederiksen's Social Democrats won the largest share of seats in the country's parliament, but this was still their poorest showing in over a century. Besides her party, the coalition will include the leftwing Socialist People’s Party, the centre-left Radikale Venstre (Social Liberals), and the centrist Moderates; this means that the coalition will still be a minority government with a total of 82 seats in the 179 seat parliament and will be dependent on the Green Left and other parties to maintain confidence of the house.

- The war (or, as it's officially known, "special military operation") in Ukraine is apparently starting to sow seeds of doubt among Russia's establishment. Putin, of course, is unwavering, but things are starting to slip out in the country's press such as an article in a pro-Kremlin newspaper which quoted a political commentator saying that "the worst-case scenario is not even defeat, it's an endless special operation" as well as quoting someone else saying that, from a historical perspective, "major geopolitical losses were sometimes more useful than brilliant victories". The article was subsequently removed from the paper's website, though, and I'd say those quoted in the article should keep a safe distance from windows for the foreseeable future.

- The family of a nine year old girl from O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation, Manitoba who died after apparently being turned away twice from the hospital in Dauphin without adequate treatment for a broken arm is still looking for answers. According to the family they asked about getting a cast (which would seem to be the most basic thing imaginable) but nothing was done, and the child was sent home with nothng but a note saying she would need to be away from school for two weeks. The death is still under investigation from the province's chief medical examiner, but it sounds like staff at that hospital are going to have a lot of explaining to do.

- A proposed wind farm development in St. Leon, Manitoba is triggering some local residents who worry that it could somehow mess with their "rural way of life". The location would be developed by Swan Lake First Nation in cooperation with Quebec-based Innergex Renewable Energy. It's not clear exactly how it would affect their way of life, other than vague bleatings about "flickering" and sounds from the turbines. The thing is, there is an existing wind farm nearby and the sky hasn't fallen. I'm pretty sure that if you pressed these people about exactly what's wrong with the proposal they'd either come up with some "crabs in a bucket" complaint about the farmers who lease land to the wind farm getting an unfair advantage over their neighbours due to getting a steady income, that green energy is "woke", or, if you got them drunk enough, they'd start ranting about the involvement of the First Nation.

News roundup, 13 April 2026

- Following the breakdown of peace talks in Pakistan, Donald Trump has announced that if the US can't use the Strait of Hormuz, nobody else can either. He says the US navy will "hunt down and interdict" vessels that have paid the toll being charged by Iran to use the strait.

- In January, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican's ambassador to the US, was summoned to a meeting at the Pentagon in response to papal criticism of American foreign policy. According to one report, US officials told Pierre that due to the US' enormous military strength the country can do "whatever it wants…and that the Vatican, and Leo, better take its side". They allegedly invoked the Avignon papacy as a warning. The Pentagon has denied that the meeting went as reported, of course.

- Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party has been soundly defeated in Hungary's general election on Sunday. The opposition Tisza, led by Péter Magyar, is projected to win 138 out of 199 parliamentary seats; if these results stand it means that Tisza will have the supermajority needed to undo some of the constitutional changes made by Orbán over the years.

 - Lars Løkke Rasmussen, leader of Denmark's Moderate party, is refusing to enter into a coalition with PM Mette Frederiksen's Social Democrats unless Frederiksen talks to centre-right parties. Frederiksen has been trying to bring in more left-leaning parties, but has paused those negotiations, apparently in response to pressure from Rasmussen. I imagine Rasmussen doesn't want to be the most rightwing member of any coalition, and/or is further to the right than he presents himself to voters. 

- BMW is retooling their 104 year old assembly plant in Munich for the construction of electric vehicles. They say that by next year it will be the company's first plant to produce EVs exclusively.

- France's government is trying to move away from Windows on desktop computers; they have plans to convert many such systems to Linux in order to reduce dependence on American companies. 

News roundup, 28 Jan 2026

- Over 97% of all new cars registered in Norway last November have been electric. The government is now removing some of the initiatives it introduced to encourage people to buy them, as they seem not to be needed anymore.

- US ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra is warning that more American aircraft will need to enter Canada's airspace to address perceived threats if Canada goes ahead and buys planes from those dirty Swedes instead of from Lockheed-Martin. Denmark, on the other hand, is warning us not to listen to the Americans; they're in the position of having previously done what they were told and replaced their entire fleet with F-35s, and now fear that the US could cut off access to replacement parts if the Greenland crisis reescalates.

- Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance at a town hall meeting in Minneapolis. The assailant was removed by security; Omar refused to end the meeting and continued, not wanting to give the enemy a success.

- The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight in response to increasing risks of war as well as climate change and artificial intelligence. Particularly concerning is the increasing breakdown of international cooperation which, as flawed as it is, has managed to prevent nuclear war since 1945. Meanwhile, in the UK a national security assessment released following a freedom of information request paints a pretty dismal picture, warning of possible threats to the country's food security unless there are major dietary shifts away from meat, and of growing risks of international conflict. The version initially released had some redactions, including fears that the loss of glaciers in the Himalayas could lead to conflict between the nuclear powers of India, Pakistan, and China. Evidently the government wanted the report suppressed because it was overly negative, and because it calls attention to the government's own failures.

- A lawyer says she was viciously assaulted by Durham Regional Police while finishing up some post-trial work in an interview room at the Oshawa court house. Apparently they thought a black woman in a hijab didn't look like she belonged there, and expressed their displeasure in the way that cops so often do.

News roundup, 23 Jan 2026

- One of the things about Donald Trump's sudden retreat in the Greenland crisis is the extent to which it undermines his case for taking the territory in the first place. After all, if it were really essential to national security as he was claiming, there would be no room for compromise - but yet he backed down quite abruptly, no doubt having been finally convinced of the economic disaster that could result to his country - and his and his friends' stock holdings - if he went ahead and Europeans started dumping Treasuries and other key American securities. One hopes that this might, ever so slightly, chip away at his tough-guy image among the MAGA crowd. This is certainly not the end, or even the beginning of the end. Is it the end of the beginning? Time will tell.

- A leaked internal ICE memo advises officers that they don't need a warrant to enter private homes, contrary to officially acknowledged training materials (not to mention the Constitution).

- The US has followed through with its threats to withdraw from the World Health Organization. Under their own laws they're supposed to give a year's notice and pay all outstanding fees (around $260 million), but a State Department official denies this.

- Pierre Poilievre says that he will not run in his current riding in the next election, saying that Damien Kurek (who stepped aside to allow him to sit in the House after he was defeated in his old riding of Carleton) will be allowed to have the riding back, no nomination needed. Where he is going to run remains to be seen; maybe he'll just slink away with his tail between his legs if we're lucky.

- Edmonton mayor Andrew Knack reports that there has been a disturbing amount of harassment of snowplow operators as well as a city councillor, Erin Rutherford. Plow operators have had shovels thrown at them, while Rutherford has been the target of an online disinformation and doxxing campaign by rightwing influencer Jesse Watson (who was Rutherford's opponent in the last municipal election). More information about this charming character may be found here.

- Power generation from coal has declined in both China and India for the first time in 52 years, with clean energy technology taking up the slack.  

- A teacher in the Louis Riel School Division in southeast Winnipeg was suspended for five days without pay and transferred to a different school after mimicking a nine year old's temper tantrum to mock the child, prompting other kids to do the same.

- Investigators in Queensland have concluded that the Canadian woman found dead on a beach surrounded by dingoes most likely drowned and that the bite marks on her body were inflicted after death. 

News roundup, 19 Jan 2026

- Around 10,000 people rallied in Copenhagen's city hall square in opposition to the Trump regime's designs on Greenland. Many of the protesters wore caps with the slogan "Make America Go Away". This coincides with a visit by a congressional delegation to Denmark in an attempt to turn down the heat.

- Hundreds of high school students in the Twin Cities area walked out of class on Friday in protest against the ICE crackdown in the region. Several schools had already cancelled classes due to security concerns, and St. Paul's school system is looking into the possibility of online classes as many students are afraid to go to class due to the chaos unleashed by the Trump regime.

- An Episcopalian bishop in New Hampshire is urging his clergy to prepare their wills in preparation for a "new era of martyrdom". Bishop Rob Hirschfeld says that the ICE crackdown means that "it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us with our bodies to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable".

- A passenger train derailed into the oncoming track near the Spanish city of Córdoba, resulting in a collision with another train. At least 39 people have been confirmed dead and 112 injured in the accident, Spain's worst in over a decade.

- A "guest experience survey" conducted by Quebec based polling firm CROP on behalf of Winnipeg's Thermea spa has been pulled after a respondent went public with some of the problematic questions that came up, some of which had nothing to do with the actual spa experience. One of the questions asked respondents if they agree or disagree with the statement that too much immigration "threatens the purity of the country".

News roundup, 6 Jan 2026

- UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo has condemned the raid on Venezuela in which the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, was abducted. DiCarlo warns that it could lead to more instability, both in Latin America and elsewhere, setting a precedent that could make violent conflicts more likely. The generally accepted reason for the invasion and kidnapping is control over Venezuela's huge oil reserves; that said, American oil companies say they aren't in a hurry to set up there due to fears of more violence and instability. Undeterred, Trump is now musing about paying US oil companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure. Notably, Vladimir Putin, who has treated Maduro as an ally in the past, has been awfully quiet on the matter; I suspect that he has quietly indicated to Trump "let us have Ukraine and you can have Venezuela".

- Trump continues to muse about taking over Greenland, by force if necessary. Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen warns that such a move would mean the end of NATO.

- The US State Department has announced that it will be denying visas to five European citizens who it accuses of "censoring" American viewpoints. These include former French finance minister and EU commissioner Thierry Bréton, who was heavily involved in the development of the EU's Digital Service Act; the legislation requires illegal content (such as hate speech) to be flagged, which obviously is a non-starter with the Republicans. Others targeted with these sanctions have been involved in activism to counter digital hate and disinformation.

- The bar at the ski resort in Crans-Montana, Switzerland where 40 people died and 116 were injured in a New Year's fire hadn't been inspected in five years. The town's mayor had no explanation why they had gone so long without inspecting the facility, but vows that sparklers - which are thought to have been the cause of the disaster - will be banned in indoor venues. The town will also be hiring an outside contractor to inspect all venues in their jurisdiction.

- Thunder Bay had the highest homicide rate in Canada in 2025, with 6.08 homicides per 100,000 residents, followed by Chilliwack, BC at 4.75. Winnipeg came third this year, at 4.66.

News roundup, 19 Nov 2025

- Both houses of Congress have now passed a bill forcing the release of the Epstein files; every member of the House except one voted in favour. However, there's a catch - the bill as passed allows the DOJ to withhold or redact any records that "would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution". This is relevant because Donald Trump has ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to open an investigation into three prominent Democrats, including former president Bill Clinton, and their connections to Epstein. This just might provide the pretext Trump needs to keep the files out of public view.

- A new poll gives the Democrats a significant advantage in next year's midterms. That's assuming, of course, that the midterms are free and fair, which may be doubtful.

- Denmark held municipal elections across the country yesterday. The governing Social Democrats have lost control of Copenhagen's council; fortunately the beneficiaries there were other leftwing parties rather than the far right.

- Germany's government, a coalition between the centre-right Christian Democrats and the centre-left Social Democrats, is deeply divided over the future of pensions in the country. The coalition agreement calls for pensions to be propped up at least until 2031; the Social Democrats are trying to extend it further. The Christian Democrats' youth wing is not keen on the additional expenditures that the Social Democrats are calling for, though, and the pension legislation is not guaranteed to pass.

- The Manitoba government has presented its throne speech for the new legislative session. Highlights include the opening of a supervised consumption site as well as an overpass for the intersection near Carberry where 17 seniors died in a bus crash and a new emergency room at Victoria General Hospital. More problematically it calls for the construction of a new natural gas power plant for Manitoba Hydro; it is hoped that it will eventually run on renewable fuels but there's no plans for that in the near future.

- The City of Winnipeg has cleared two homeless encampments on Monday, the first day when new restrictions were in effect. The restrictions prohibit encampments within 50 metres of schools, playgrounds, daycares and skating rinks, and within 30 metres of transit shelters, bridges, docks and similar public facilities.

- The cycling magazine Momentum has published its annual list of the 30 most bike-friendly cities around the world. 24 of the 30 cities listed are in the European Union; the only other countries with cities on the list are Canada (represented by Montreal, Quebec City, and Vancouver), Switzerland (Zurich and Bern), and Norway (Oslo).

- The Brazilian government is proposing that brazilwood, an endangered tree, be given the highest level of protection by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This is a source of alarm to many musicians, due to the wood's widespread use in bows for stringed instruments - it would force musicians to register their bows in order to travel internationally.

News roundup, 25 Sept 2025

- A man opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas, killing one person and wounding two others before turning the gun on himself. Authorities say that anti-ICE slogans were engraved on bullet casings found at the scene; ironically the deceased and at least one of the wounded were not ICE agents but detainees.

- Copenhagen's main airport was shut down on Monday after a mass incursion of drones; two other airports in the country were shut down on Wednesday for the same reason. The Danish government says that "professional actors" were behind the attacks; they say they have found no evidence of Russian involvement but the fact that they bothered to mention that suggests that they still have their suspicions.

- The Trump regime has retroactively cancelled grants made to municipalities as far back as a year ago for street safety and bike and pedestrian infrastructure, on the grounds that the projects are "hostile to cars".

- Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says that the "safe haven" status of the US dollar is coming into question due to fears about the policies of the current regime, including fears about the continued independence of the Federal Reserve. Nonetheless, Macklem says that the greenback will likely continue to be the world's reserve currency due to a lack of alternatives. No explanation is given in the article about why the euro or the yuan couldn't replace the dollar in that role; perhaps it's as much a matter of nobody wanting to make the first move as anything.

- Wasagamack First Nation in northern Manitoba has ordered all of its employees to be tested for illegal drugs, including cocaine and meth. They say that this is intended to connect residents with addictions resources rather than to punish.

- A body was found just outside a schoolyard in St. Boniface. Police say that the death is not criminal in nature.

News roundup, 19 Sept 2025

- Denmark held a large military exercise in Greenland this week, the largest in the territory's history. They invited several NATO allies, but pointedly left the US off the invite list.

- Alberta premier Danielle Smith's approval rating has declined to 46%. Despite this, other polling indicates that Smith and her United Conservative Party would win handily over Naheed Nenshi's NDP if an election were held today.

- The New York Times reports that the Trump regime approved the export of advanced computer technology to the United Arab Emirates only two weeks after the UAE invested $2 billion in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency startup founded by Trump, his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and their families.

- Elon Musk spoke at the gigantic anti-immigration rally held in the UK by far-right activist Tommy Robinson over the weekend, and declared that "violence is coming" to the country. This brings to mind the notorious "rivers of blood" speech given by MP Enoch Powell in 1968. Musk also called for a change of government, and it's a safe bet that he will do his utmost to ensure that happens.

- Insiders reporting on the executive meetings following the Jimmy Kimmel episode that got the show cancelled say that multiple executives acknowledged that Kimmel hadn't said anything that crosses a line, but that senior execs feared retaliation from Trump. The fears may not have been unfounded; FCC chair Brendan Carr had hinted in an interview that ABC affiliates might have difficulty renewing their broadcast licenses if something wasn't done to "take action" on Kimmel.

- Two Utah men were arrested after an incendiary device was placed under a vehicle owned by a media outlet in Salt Lake City. The device did not go off. And a Texas man was arrested for making threats against New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. I guess they're all counting on getting a presidential pardon.

News roundup, 27 Aug 2025

- The Manitoba Progressive Conservatives have won the Spruce Woods byelection, but by a surprisingly narrow margin. Colleen Robbins defeated the NDP's Ray Berthelette by only 70 votes.

- Danish authorities have found evidence of Americans conducting covert operations in Greenland, apparently in an attempt to sway public opinion in the territory in favour of US annexation.

- A man who sent letter bombs to his ex-wife and two lawyers, one of whom lost a hand in the explosion, has been denied parole. Guido Amsel had been sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 10 years, something usually reserved for those convicted of second-degree murder; then again, the fact that nobody died is not for want of trying on Amsel's part. The parole board concluded that while he hadn't caused any problems while incarcerated, he showed no sign of remorse and in fact tried to argue in his parole hearing that the police had planted his DNA during the investigation; he was deemed a high risk to reoffend.

- A law firm that represents several anti-wind power organizations is trying to pressure Brown University to retract a report published by the university's Climate and Development Lab. The report pointed out the similarities between statements from the organizations and from fossil fuel organizations, and uses Marzulla Law LLC in a case study to map connections between different organizations. The firm is threatening to go to the university's funders to pressure them; so far the university is standing firm.

- The Carney government is considering major upgrades to the Port of Churchill. Wab Kinew called this an exciting moment for the province; he's not wrong, though it's unfortunate that much of the incentive for the upgrades is LNG exports.

- Ireland's Central Statistics Office reports that while the total number of people emigrating to the country has decreased by 16% compared with the same time last year, the number emigrating specifically from the US has almost doubled. I'm pretty sure that weather isn't the reason.

- An autopsy has concluded that Norwegian hiker Steffen Skjottelvik died from drowning. It's thought he may have been swept away while trying to cross the Hayes River. 

- Police in the Australian state of Victoria are seeking a man suspected of shooting three cops, two of them fatally, following an attempt to execute a search warrant related to historical sex crimes on his rural property. The suspect is thought to be associated with the so-called "sovereign citizen" movement.

News roundup, 5 June 2025

- The northern Manitoba town of Snow Lake has issued a voluntary evacuation alert due to wildfires; those who leave now can pull trailers behind them, but if the alert is upgraded this will no longer be permitted. 

- The Trump regime has banned travel to the US for residents of a dozen countries; seven more countries not facing an outright ban have been hit with new visa restrictions. 

- Schools in Denmark hold annual mock elections in order to teach kids about democracy, complete with debates This year, however, the government is ordering that the Palestine question not be discussed in these debates; they justify this by saying that it is "too explosive" and could put children from some minority groups in awkward positions.

- Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is replacing the people who evaluate potential risks of new features with AIs. Nothing could possibly go wrong with that, right?

- The Carney government has introduced a bill which imposes more border security measures in response to complaints and threats from the Trump regime about border security. However, the bill also makes it considerably harder to claim asylum in Canada, which alarms refugee advocates. It furthermore worries some privacy advocates, due to provisions that make it easier for warrantless access to information about people from ISPs and similar services.

- Marc Garneau, the first Canadian in space (and subsequently a Liberal cabinet minister), has died at the age of 76. 

News roundup, 8 May 2025

- The death toll in the Indian strike on Pakistan in retaliation for the terrorist attack in the Indian part of Kashmir is now reportedly at least 31. Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has vowed to "avenge each drop of the blood of these martyrs". This is not the kind of language you want to hear in a dispute between two nuclear powers.

- Danielle Smith plans to introduce legislation to change the rules concerning citizen-initiated referenda, which would reduce the number of signatures necessary to force a referendum from 20% of eligible voters to 10%, as well as increasing the time period during which the signatures are collected from 90 to 120 days. This is clearly advantageous to Alberta separatists, despite Smith's claim that she does not favour secession. And meanwhile, it is reported (anecdotally) that people claiming to represent the "Alberta Republican Party" have apparently been going door to door in Alberta, canvassing in groups kinda like Mormons - and many of them seem to be Americans. And as someone in that thread pointed out, Smith is spending a lot of time at Trump's mansion - as one might if one wanted to discuss certain matters outside of the earshot of Canadian intelligence. One almost wonders if Smith is collaborating with the Americans to stir up a secessionist movement - perhaps so that Trump can try to "liberate" the province, Donetsk style. Let's hope not, but...

- The UK Conservative Party is tanking big time, with one recent poll putting them in third place behind Nigel Farage's Reform Party at 29% and Labour at 22%. If Labour were smart, they'd take the opportunity to bring in electoral reform to minimize the risk of a Reform majority, but I wouldn't count on that.

- The Danish government is summoning the US ambassador following reports that American intelligence has been ordered to increase their spying activities in Greenland. Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, has responded with fury at the Wall Street Journal for its role in publicizing the order, accusing the paper of "aiding deep state actors who seek to undermine the President".

- Cargo at the Port of Los Angeles is down by 35% following Trump's tariffs. This is already impacting businesses in southern California and is expected to have significant impacts on the broader economy.

- The gigantic containment vessel around the infamous Reactor #4 at the Chornobyl nuclear plant was severely damaged in a drone strike earlier this year. While no release of radioactive material occurred in the strike, it leaves the reactor vulnerable to the elements and could lead to leakage unless it is fixed soon. The cost of repair is expected to be significantly more than the €25 million available in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's international contingency fund, and the shortfall is likely to have to be made up by the EU and UK. Ukrainian officials believe that the structure may have been deliberately targeted, making it a potential war crime. The Russians, for their part, are suggesting that it was a false flag attack by the Ukrainians.

- People are starting to use AI chatbots for spiritual advice. This is going about as well as you'd expect.

News roundup, 20 Nov 2024

- A severe storm, with winds up to 160 km/h hit the coast of BC last night, causing widespread disruption and power outages but no deaths or injuries so far in that province, though south of the border in Seattle a woman died when a tree fell on a homeless encampment.

- The Kinew government has presented their throne speech, outlining their priorities for the new legislative session. These include maintaining the Manitoba Hydro rate freeze, the elimination of restrictive covenants that limit competition for grocery stores, and new measures for healthcare, including over 100 new beds and strategies for cutting ER wait times. The rate freeze has raised some eyebrows due to the financial status of Hydro and the need for the renewal and expansion of electrical infrastructure.

- Josh Guenter, the Tory MLA for Borderlands, seemingly couldn't help himself when the opportunity came to make a dog whistle about the presumed ethnicity of the trucker who killed two people near Altona last week. He has apologized for this, but he has a long history of rightwing populism (e.g. his support for the trucker convoy in 2022, which got him in trouble back then but not enough to keep him out of the good graces of the party leadership for long).

- The Danish government plans to convert 10% of the country's farmland back into forest. They also plan to tax livestock farmers for the emissions from their animals. A good start, but some bigger countries need to start doing this. And there's doubtless going to be a lot of populist pushback.

- The US Department of Justice hopes to do some "trust-busting" before Donald Trump takes power; they plan to ask a judge to order Google to sell off the Chrome web browser and impose restrictions on other aspects of the company's business. Google claims that this will harm consumers (but then of course they would).

- Winnipeg city council is debating a proposal to tinker with zoning and enable some of the parking lots around malls to be converted into housing. It's a step in the right direction, at least.

- The City of Winnipeg may be only four to six years away from having no capacity to further expand sewage treatment, meaning that no new residential or commercial developments could be approved. Construction on a new facility with more biosolids capacity needs to start immediately if this is to be avoided.

- Police were called to the campus of the University of Manitoba after a man was spotted with a knife; police say there is no further threat to the public despite not making any arrests. Some students are alarmed and confused by the lack of clarity about the situation.

- The Slender-billed Curlew, a shorebird that was once fairly widespread in Eurasia, has been declared extinct after all attempts to find one since 1995 failed.

- A Russian ballet star who had criticized Vladimir Putin has died after falling from his fifth floor apartment. It's awfully strange how careless those Putin critics are around windows.