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New movement against research cuts

Ward of the 21st Century features cutting-edge research

A movement to prevent budget cuts to medical research in Quebec has begun.

Research centre representatives held a news conference yesterday to announce a campaign against the Parti-Quebecois' decision to cut 10-million-dollars in funding.

A CBC News report calls the campaign “Je Suis Michèle," named after ovarian cancer patient Michèle St-Pierre.

St-Pierre opposes the cuts because research funding has helped her deal with her cancer situation. A specific type of chemotherapy was developed through medical research.

Michèle has been a cancer patient for four years. She will begin her third round of chemotherapy.

Multiple Sclerosis patient Sylvain Plourde says that there will be no hope for people like them if medical research funding is cut.

He says his condition is deteriorating and is hoping that medical research will help find treatments.

A website has also been launched. An online petition has been put out to raise awareness and to encourage site visitors to share stories about the benefits of medical research.

Their symbols used for this campaign are a pink and blue "x" that denotes a bandage.

Flickr Photo by: Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education

STORY WRITTEN BY: SATURN DE LOS ANGELES 

Syria reports of an air strike by Israel

SYRIA-CRISIS/GORAN TOMASEVIC/REUTERS

The Syrian military is reporting that Israel jets have attacked a military research centre near Damascus.

They state that two people were killed and five were injured.

Western diplomats, Lebanese security forces, and Syrian rebels say that a convoy carrying weapons heading for the Lebanese border was hit.

The Syrian military denies this.

According to BBC News, the reports cannot be verified.

Israel recently stated that they feared militants like Hezbollah gaining possession of Syrian weapons and missiles.

Israel and the U.S. have declined to comment on the reports.

Flickr Photo by: a.anis

STORY WRITTEN BY: AISHA SAMU

Changes coming to Ontario social assistance

It was announced that Ontario’s Social Assistance system will undergo a major reform on Wednesday.

According to The Globe and Mail, Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne plans on making structural changes and raising welfare rates.

She wants to simplify the system and make it easier to navigate for those benefiting from it.

Wynne told the paper that this social issue is a priority for her and her party.

She will also work with the opposition and Toronto mayor Rob Ford on the project.

Wynne won the Liberal leadership race last weekend, making this her first concrete policy in her new position.

STORY WRITTEN BY: CHLOE DENEUMOUSTIER

Blackberry released new BB10

blackberry

Canadian company Research in Motion is throwing itself back into the smartphone market with two new releases in 2013.

RIM’s CEO unveiled the Blackberry Z10 and the Blackberry Q10 on Wednesday.

The Z10 uses a touch screen while the Q10 has a QWERTY-keyboard.

CBC reported that one new feature on both phones is predictive text in three languages.

The new Blackberries also boast an updated web browser and higher quality back-and-front cameras.

The past year Research in Motion struggled to keep up with competitors Apple and Google.

The company hopes to spark a comeback with these new smartphones.

RIM also announced that it’s changing the company’s name to “Blackberry”

Canadians will be the first to get their hands on a new Blackberry.

The Z10 will be available in Canada on Feb. 5

Flickr Photo by: killrbeez

STORY WRITTEN BY: ALYSSA TREMBLAY

January 31, 2013

Hosted by: Catlin Spencer

Stories by: Saturn De Los Angeles, Chloe Deneumoustier, Alyssa Tremblay & Aisha Samu

Produced: Jenna Monney-Lupert

January 30th, 2013

Hosted by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi

Stories by: Jamie Lee-Gordon, Niki Mohrdar, Aisha Samu & Daniel J. Rowe

Produced by: Spoon Jung

Arizona lawmakers propose bills to require students to take oaths under God

Students in Arizona will be required to express love of country under God if bills introduced by two lawmakers are passed, reports Huffington Post.

Republican state representative Bob Thorpe’s proposal would require all high school seniors to “support and defend” the U.S. Constitution under oath.

Republican state representative Steve Smith’s proposal would require all 1st to 12th graders in public school to say the Pledge of Allegiance.

Currently the bill does not exempt atheist students or students of other faiths.

Some believe that forcing a religious declaration to graduate from high school violates the Constitution.

Thorpe believes that reciting the Constitutional oath will inspire students to learn more about the history of the United States.

Arizona public schools have to reserve time every day to recite the pledge but students can choose not to participate.

Critics argue that if the bills are passed, many lawsuits will follow.

STORY WRITTEN BY: AISHA SAMU

The Vanishing Island of Kutubdia

The world is changing.

The sea is rising.

And islands are disappearing.

 

Kutubdia is an island off the coast of Bangladesh that has been halfed by rising water levels.

 

It is among the many vanishing islands in the region that are seeing record level sea rises and territory erosion.

 

Forty thousand people and six villages have been swamped on Kutubdia since 1991.

 

Government expects that number to rise to eighty thousand in the near future.

 

The island like many in the region will be no more in thirty years at the current rate of erosion.

Montreal flooding continues

Flood waters

By: montreal_bunny

Although yesterday’s flood in Montreal continues, the city is stating that there has not been a second break in the water pipes. Montreal’s press representative, Phillippe Sabourin says that the last valve connecting to the broken 48-inch diameter pipe has yet to be closed.  Currently, 95 per cent of the flow has stopped, while the city is still working on the other 5 per cent.

However, Jacques-Alain Lavallée, another city official, has stated that there was a second smaller break that was connected to the McTavish reservoir. Sources say that a phone call made by The Daily to Lavallée was transferred to Sabourin.

 

At the same time McGill University has stated that the water pouring down University comes from a break in an 8-inch pipe close to the original fracture.  

 

Sabourin has stated that although there may be some confusion around the matter, Service de l’eau has confirmed that there is no second break although water is still flowing. 

Many buildings at McGill remain flooded, causing classes to either be cancelled or relocated.

 

Michael Di Grappa, VP of Administration and Finance at McGill said that while some buildings will re-open by the weekend, others will take months before they re-open. Grappa also anticipates repairs to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

January 29th, 2013

Hosted by: Gabrielle Fahmy

Stories by: Nikita Smith, Jenna Monney-Lupert, Gregory Wilson & Danny Aubry

Produced by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi

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