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As Canadians miss out on benefits, Ottawa promises automatic tax filing is on the way

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:41:05 GMT

OTTAWA — The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don’t file their taxes get their benefits.This week’s federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations. The move toward automatic tax filing, first promised in the 2020 speech from the throne, is one of several budget measures the Liberals say are meant to help Canadians with the cost of living.Experts and advocates have called for automatic filing, noting many vulnerable Canadians miss out on benefits to which they are entitled.Canadians are generally not required to file tax returns every year unless they owe money, but the federal government is increasingly relying on the Canada Revenue Agency to deliver income-tested benefits to individuals.That includes Canada Child Benefit, as well as the recent top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit an...

Winnipeg judge to give decision for retired priest charged with indecent assault

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:41:05 GMT

WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg judge is expected to give her decision on whether a now-retired priest is guilty of indecent assault after a residential school survivor accused him of forcing himself on her more than 50 years ago. Victoria McIntosh says she was assaulted by Arthur Masse in a bathroom of the Fort Alexander Residential School north of Winnipeg sometime between 1968 and 1970.McIntosh and Masse were the only witnesses who testified in the two-day judge-alone trial earlier this month. The First Nations woman told court the alleged assault lasted about a minute and Masse told her afterward not to tell anyone. Masse, who is 93, testified that he did not assault McIntosh and said he had no recollection of interacting with her when she was a student. McIntosh first reported it to police in 2015 and has said it took her several years to feel she could speak about what happened.  The Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program has a hotline to help residential school su...

Regulator defends finding that Alberta’s largest earthquake was caused by oilpatch

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:41:05 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta’s energy regulator has defended its finding that the province’s largest recorded earthquake was caused by oilpatch activity, saying the pattern of temblors since last fall clearly points to a water disposal well even though there’s no suggestion rules were flouted. “The connection between the earthquake sequence and the disposal well injecting into the deeper Leduc Formation was clear,” says a timeline of the research conducted by the Alberta Geological Survey, a branch of the Alberta Energy Regulator. The release of the timeline comes three days after Obsidian Energy, a Calgary-based oil and gas producer, openly challenged the regulator’s attribution of a 5.6 magnitude quake last November to operations of the company’s deep disposal well near the town of Peace River.“Since we have not seen any data or other evidence for the (regulator’s) conclusions, we cannot — and do not — agree with these conclusions,” said...

Vatican: Pope has good night in hospital despite infection

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:41:05 GMT

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis spent a good first night in the hospital after being admitted for a respiratory infection, a Vatican official said Thursday.Further medical updates were expected later in the day. Francis was taken to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for tests on Wednesday afternoon after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days. The 86-year-old pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, does not have COVID-19 but will remain in the hospital for several days of treatment, the Vatican said. His audiences were canceled through Friday.Francis is scheduled to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, and it wasn’t clear how his medical condition would affect the Vatican’s Holy Week observances, which include Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday on April 9. His hospitalization was the first since Francis had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed and spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital in July 2021.He said soon after the sur...

Daily horoscope for March 30, 2023

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:41:05 GMT

Moon Alert: Caution: Avoid shopping or important decisions from 9:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. EDT today (6:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. PDT). After that, the Moon moves from Cancer into Leo.Happy Birthday for Thursday, March 30, 2023:You are genuine, confident and courageous. You work hard for your personal goals, which can make you look selfish, but you aren’t. This year is the time to create solid foundations in your life, which means simplicity is key. Work to build structures physically and within yourself.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★Today you might experience a sudden windfall. You might have an excellent moneymaking idea. You might suddenly buy something high-tech or very modern that pleases you. You might get an unexpected raise. Whatever happens will be an advantage or a material benefit. Tonight: Good news.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★★This is a lovely day. Venus is in your sign lined up with unpredictable Uranus, which means today is full of unexpected events, excitement and new ex...

Kyiv urges Russians not to adopt Ukraine's 'stolen' children

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:41:05 GMT

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minster Iryna Vereshchuk urged Russians on Tuesday (28 March) not to adopt children she claimed were "stolen in Ukraine" during the war. She said they had been deported to Russia.Millions of people have been forced to flee Russia's war on its neighbor for the past 13 months. This includes families as well as children. It is difficult to determine the true number of children deported to Russia.In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC), issued a arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova–Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. They were accused of war crime, illegally deporting hundreds from Ukraine.Vereshchuk stated on Telegram that orphans were "stolen" in Ukraine and given up for adoption by Russia.Vereshchuk, the social affairs coordinator, said: "I strongly recommend Russian citizens not to adopt Ukrainian orphans illegally taken from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.""Once more, I remind all Russia...

President Tokayev proposes key changes to economic policy to boost growth and diversify industries

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:41:05 GMT

Kazakhstan is set to change the focus of its economic policy, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his address to the first session of the Kazakh Parliament on March 29, reported the Akorda press service, writes Assel Satubaldina in Election 2023, Nation.Tokayev outlined the key steps to tackle the challenges facing the nation following the 19 March election to the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Parliament, and maslikhats, local representative bodies. The creation of an open and self-sufficient market economy remains a top priority.Encouraging business activity“Small and medium-sized enterprises should become the driving force of the economy and the labor market. Much has been said about this, but there are still no significant shifts in this direction. Therefore, we need to change the focus in our economic policy,” said Tokayev in his one-hour-long televised address, widely anticipated by Kazakh citizens.There are nearly 1.9 million small and medium-sized businesses operatin...

Miss Manners: I think it’s disrespectful for my husband to insist on this name

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:41:05 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: While our children were growing up, I always permitted their friends to address me by my given name, while my husband always requested to be addressed by Mr. and our difficult-to-pronounce surname, or as Mr. L.Our children are now in their late 20s. My husband still expects the man living with our daughter to address him in this fashion. In contrast, my husband has called my parents by their given names from the day they met.Our daughter’s partner is an adult — well-employed, a homeowner — and may one day be our son-in-law. I feel that my husband’s request is disrespectful to both our daughter and her partner. What do you feel is the appropriate form of address, both in person and on tags when exchanging gifts?GENTLE READER: It has always been Miss Manners’ belief that respect demands addressing people as they wish to be addressed. Even if the current generation believes they were the first to enunciate this principle.Respect, however...

Dear Abby: I want to marry him, but he gave me this ultimatum

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:41:05 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend of three years wants me to move in with him. He’s a great guy. He’s loving and affectionate, kind and caring.We each have a kid. He has a 10-year-old girl; I have a 4-year-old boy.We want the same things for our kids and have quite a few things in common. We enjoy playing sports, and we’re both foodies. He checks a lot of my boxes, so I know I’m ready for marriage.He has asked me multiple times to move in with him, but I’d like to be engaged or married before doing so. He wants us to live together first because my relationship with his daughter hasn’t flourished. He’d also like to build a trusting relationship with my son, which I understand and find equally important.He says we must live together before he proposes to me because we need to work on our finances and careers, etc.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: They were a happy young couple until the unthinkable happened Advice | Dear Abb...

Buying TikTok Followers: Top 3 Websites (2023)

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:41:05 GMT

Sponsored ContentWhatever your interests or hobbies, there’s always something fun to watch on TikTok. But even though the app’s primary purpose is entertainment, it has become an essential tool for businesses. And it’s here to stay. The platform helps brands and creators engage their audience, grow their following, and drive sales. It’s also an effective way to tap into the Gen Z audience and its growing purchasing power.Even though TikTok may seem like all fun and games, it takes skill and dedication to succeed on the platform. To help you, here are some tips you can use to grow your presence there. We also tell you about the top TikTok marketing providers that can boost your numbers.How Do You Grow a TikTok Account?TikTok is no longer a newcomer to the social media world. It now boasts over a billion users, making it a conducive space for businesses to grow their audience. However, you need a strategy if you want to see your TikTok numbers increase. If you ...