A Facebook Marketplace seller is being ordered by B.C.'s small claims tribunal to repay hundreds of dollars after selling a product under false advertising.

The RCMP says a 'dangerous man' with a firearm in Bible Hill, N.S., is in custody Friday morning.

A large seine fishing vessel capable of casting a net strong enough to hold a nearly 700-kilogram killer whale calf has arrived in Zeballos, B.C., to participate in the latest attempt to rescue the young orca stranded in a remote tidal lagoon.

A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.

The top Russian diplomat said that 250 events will be held within the BRICS framework to guarantee a «smooth entry of new members into the team»

The volume of mineral water supplies to Russia, as well as carbonated drinks containing sugar, increased by 15.7% to around 34,300 tons

The exercise involved two mobile laboratories based on Kamaz vehicles, which Russian President Vladimir Putin presented to his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni as a gift at the Russia-Africa summit

According to Faustin-Archange Touadera, since becoming the president, his actions have been guided by the need «to modernize the army and take into account new challenges»

Russia’s top diplomat noted that Josep Borrell may made the statement in a moment of weakness

Icelandic nature was the most influential factor in foreign tourists’ decision to visit Iceland in 2022. 97% of respondents in the Icelandic Tourist Board survey said nature had a major or partial influence on their decision to travel to Iceland. Interest in the Arctic was also an important factor (84.6%) and in outdoor related activities (79.9%).

Mogadishu (HOL) — The Federal Government of Somalia is urging an immediate stop to the tribal conflicts in the South West, which have recently escalated, causing significant losses of life and property.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Türkiye is poised to embark on a significant offshore oil exploration venture in Somalia, planning to commence deep-sea drilling in 2025, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced on Friday. This initiative follows a strategic bilateral agreement to bolster their partnership through energy development.

This EPRS paper analyses how the European Commission has delivered on the policy agenda set by its President, Ursula von der Leyen, and her College of Commissioners when they took office in December 2019, and by further commitments taken over the years to address new issues, crises and challenges. It provides an end-of-term assessment of the delivery of the agenda's six key priorities, on the eve of the ninth legislature's last plenary session, two months before the 2024 European elections. The von der Leyen Commission has announced a total of 661 planned initiatives. In concrete terms, EPRS finds that four out of five (526) have now been submitted and, for those which are legislative proposals, the co-legislators have started work. Of the 526, more than half (301) have already been adopted by the co-legislators, or, for the non-legislative initiatives (such as strategies, action plans and other communications, amounting to around one fifth of the total), by the Commission itself. A further 97 (18 %) are close to adoption, with some of them likely to be adopted still during this legislature. The remainder (102, or 19 %) are still proceeding normally through the legislative process and will not reach adoption under this term. While the Commission's first priority – the European Green Deal – ranks highest in terms of the number of initiatives planned (167), the other priorities – 'A Europe fit for the digital age', 'An economy that works for people', 'A stronger Europe in the world', 'Promoting our European way of life', and 'A new push for European democracy' – have higher rates of initiatives actually adopted (from 52 % to 60 %, and 82 % for the fourth, largely due, for the latter, to its less legislative nature). Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Teachers play an essential role in providing high-quality education and making education a rewarding experience for all learners. This makes teachers key to achieving a true European education area (EEA) that offers improved access to quality education and lifelong learning for all. However, the current shortage of teachers is a widespread issue across the European Union (EU). Not only is the teaching workforce ageing but the profession has become less attractive owing to factors such as challenging working conditions and perceived low societal recognition. Teacher shortages are more acute in certain subjects, specialisations and geographic areas. There is also a significant gender disparity in the teaching profession at various educational levels across the EU. Against this backdrop, the 2023 Education and Training Monitor – the European Commission's annual report on EU education and training systems – put a spotlight on the teaching profession, focusing in particular on teacher shortages across the Member States. The report noted that, while shortages are an increasing concern, reinforcing the teaching profession's attractiveness requires a balanced policy approach to both teacher recruitment and teacher retention. While the organisation and content of education fall under the responsibility of the Member States, the EU is working on boosting the prestige of the teaching profession and has launched several initiatives to offer professional education and development opportunities to educators. Examples include providing EU-level guidance on various topics relating to the teaching profession, establishing the Erasmus+ teacher academies that create communities of practice, and promoting cross-border teacher mobility. Over the years, the European Parliament has expressed continued support for teachers and for making the teaching profession more attractive. In February 2024, it held a plenary debate on the working conditions of teachers in the EU, with the participation of the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Once dispersed in the environment, microplastic particles under 5 mm in size are extremely difficult to remove and very persistent. Today, they are present in the air, soil, freshwater, seas, oceans, plants and animals, and in several components of the human diet. Human exposure to microplastic particles is therefore widespread, raising concerns about potential health impacts. The EU has committed to addressing microplastic pollution in two action plans –on the new circular economy and on zero pollution for air, water and soil – both of which are part of the European Green Deal. On 16 October 2023, the European Commission proposed a regulation to tackle microplastic pollution resulting from losses of plastic pellets – the industrial raw materials used to make plastic products. These losses are the third largest source of unintentional microplastic releases into the EU environment. The proposal would apply to all economic operators handling plastic pellets in the EU in quantities above 5 tonnes per year, as well as to EU and non-EU carriers transporting plastic pellets within the EU. It would set requirements for best handling practices, mandatory certification and self-declaration, and provide for the development of a harmonised methodology to estimate losses. Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), responsible for the file, adopted its legislative report on 19 March 2024. The text awaits a vote during the second April 2024 plenary session, with a view to establishing Parliament's position at first reading. First edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Global prices for crude oil jumped by more than 3% on Friday after Israel carried out a military attack on Iran Read Full Article at RT.com

Örn Viðar Skúlason, CEO of real estate company Þórkatla, says it is understandable that the residents of Grindavík are getting impatient and that they had hoped for a faster processing of their applications in the state property buy-outs.

Jury selection is scheduled to continue Friday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York. Twelve jurors have been seated and six alternates need to be chosen.

Computer-generated models are set to compete in the world’s first AI beauty contest Read Full Article at RT.com

EU energy watchdog urges “gradual” reduction of liquified natural gas imports from Russia as the transit contract with Ukraine nears an end Read Full Article at RT.com

The record-low birth rate is the most negative factor for Russia’s long-term development, researchers have warned Read Full Article at RT.com

RT outlines the key events from the front line of the Russia-Ukraine conflict over the past seven days Read Full Article at RT.com

India has shipped the first batch of BrahMos cruise missiles co-developed with Russia to the Philippines Read Full Article at RT.com

ALISON BOSHOFF: It's a shock move, as the 59-year-old hasn't set foot on stage since the early 1980s, long before he was a star.

Researchers in Singapore found that methylglyoxal, which the body produces when eating junk foods, could inhibit genes like BRCA2, which would otherwise protect against cancer.

Seychelles and Comoros signed an agreement for better relations in fisheries to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on Friday. The Minister of Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Jean-Francois Ferrari, signed the agreement on behalf of Seychelles and Ali Youssouf, the director general for Fisheries for Comoros on behalf of Houmed M'Saidie, the Minister for Fisheries in Comoros. The signing took place during a meeting for Indian Ocean coastal states in preparation for the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) meeting scheduled to take in Bangkok, Thailand in May. Ferrari told reporters that Seychelles has been working with Comoros for a while to come up with the agreement. «We want to work with all the countries in the region, and it is important to work with them, as you know there have been instances of illegal fishing involving vessels from Comoros who were fishing illegally in the Aldabra lagoon,» said Ferrari. The Comoros vessel was intercepted in the Aldabra lagoon on November 16 last year. Since there was no catch onboard, the vessel was seized and the crew repatriated to their country. He said there is a «need to have a framework in place to deal with the issue so that we can prevent such situations from happening again.» «I am happy that we signed this agreement with Comoros this morning, as it formalises our relationship and ensures that everything is done the right way, in the interest of both countries,» Ferrari added. He said that this recent agreement with Comoros mirrors the one the Seychelles has with Madagascar. «The latest incident of Malagasy fishermen being caught sea cucumber fishing in Providence, once caught and set to Madagascar, they were sent to jail because of the relationship we now have with Madagascar,» said the minister. In April 2023, the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) intercepted a Madagascar-flagged fishing vessel suspected of conducting IUU fishing in the island nation's waters. Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, has an Exclusive Economic Zone of 1.4 million square kilometres, making surveillance of illegal maritime activities challenging. The island nation has stepped up efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking and illegal fishing in its waters and as part of the measures, the SDF assets are continuously involved in regional operations with partner countries and organisations.

Live updates from the 2024 campaign trail with the latest news on presidential candidates, polls, primaries and more.