Activists scale government building in climate protest

Ex-nurses blame red tape for holding up return to workplace

Former nurses who want to go back to work are calling out the regulatory red tape that’s in their way, even as hospitals across the province struggle to fill nursing shifts.

Activists scale government building in climate protest

LONDON (AP) — Climate activists in hard hats scaled a U.K. government building Tuesday, unfurling a banner demanding that countries attending the upcoming U.N. climate conference invest in plant-based alternatives to meat.

The activists campaigning for Animal Rebellion climbed between 10 meters and 20 meters (32 feet to 65 feet) up the latticework decoration of the building which houses the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. The activists are an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, which has blocked traffic, disrupted public transport and set up encampments to gain attention and press for stronger action against climate change.

The climbers hung a large yellow banner reading “COP26: Invest in a plant-based future."

No arrests have been made.

Will Smith apologizes: 'I was out of line and I was wrong'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The day after slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars stage and upending the 94th Academy Awards, Will Smith issued an apology to the comedian, to the academy and to viewers at home, saying he was “out of line” and that his actions are “not indicative of the man I want to be.”

The fallout from Smith’s actions during Sunday's ceremony continued Monday as Hollywood and the public continued to wrestle with a moment that stunned the Dolby Theatre crowd and viewers at home. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences condemned Smith striking Rock, who had made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and said it would launch an inquiry.

Later in the day, Smith gave a stronger apology than he did in his best actor acceptance speech, which notably hadn't included an apology to Rock.

“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive," said Smith in a statement issued by his publicist and posted on Instagram. “My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

Another new year starts with hope

The year began with hope that many long-standing challenges for Indigenous communities could be overcome.

For example, on Jan. 1, Bill C-92 came into effect, enabling Indigenous communities to take control of child and family services, making them “free to develop policies and laws based on their particular histories, cultures, and circumstances.”

This followed the 2019 passing of Bill C-91 and the creation of a federal Indigenous languages office — committing the government to support and fund “Indigenous-led language reclamation, revitalization, maintenance and strengthening activities.”

January also marked the opening of the Indian day school settlement process, offering more than 200,000 survivors compensation for harms perpetuated at 699 schools, and a $200-million education, healing and commemoration fund.

Local high school, collegiate athletes trying to focus on future, not dwell on season past

Nobody can relate to what today’s young athletes are going through.

Imagine entering your final year of high school and being told at the last minute that you can’t compete for a provincial championship. Or what it feels like to be the kid who made sacrifices their entire life to one day earn a scholarship and when that time comes, they’re informed the next season might not happen and their university experience will consist of them sitting behind a computer screen, taking online classes.

The realities in today’s pandemic world are unprecedented. No coach or parent can look at these athletes and say, ‘I know what you’re going through.’ Neither can Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, the director of sport psychology for the Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba. But the former University of Manitoba Bisons shooting guard said it’s important for athletes to not pretend that everything is fine during these challenging times.

“I think that bitter ends up resulting down the road if you don’t allow yourself to feel deeply. That’s the one thing we know in sport for sure, that we feel deeply. We celebrate, we work hard, we invest our heart and soul, so things can hurt pretty bad, too,” Leslie-Toogood says.