Trudeau says unite against intimidation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on Canada’s political leaders to take a united stand against violence and intimidation, following a verbal attack on Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland over the weekend.
A video shows a man in Grande Prairie, Alberta, confronting Freeland during a visit to the city on Saturday.
He swears at her, calling her a “traitor,” and demands she leave the province.
Freeland is a native of Alberta and says she will continue to visit.
Trudeau says the incident isn’t an isolated one, and they’ve become increasingly frequent for those in public life, especially women and minorities.
He says this type of behaviour threatens Canada’s democracy.
UPDATE: SCRUB. NASA launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson has called off today’s Artemis 1 launch attempt due to an issue with an engine bleed on the core stage.
Artemis One lifts off this morning
NASA’s long-awaited return to the Moon begins today, with this morning’s launch of Artemis One (at 8:33 am EDT.)
The most powerful rocket the agency has ever built will power a new capsule in a 42-day mission around the Moon, testing its capabilities.
On board will be three mannequins loaded with sensors.
The goal is to send a human crew around the moon in 2024, with one of the astronauts a Canadian.
Its first landing is set for the following year.
The eventual target is to build a base on the moon and an orbiting space station, as a way-stop for journeys to Mars.
Team checking out nuclear power plant
A team from the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency is on its way to Europe’s largest
nuclear power plant.
The plant, located in southern Ukraine, has been occupied by Russian invaders since March.
In recent weeks, Russia and Ukraine have traded accusations that the other side has been firing on the plant, increasing the threat of a nuclear disaster.
The agency’s inspection team will assess the working, safety, and security conditions at the plant later this week.
The U-N and Ukraine have called on Russia to demilitarize the area in and around the plant.
Disastrous flooding in Pakistan
International aid has begun arriving in Pakistan, in the wake of what the nation’s environment minister calls a “climate catastrophe.”
This year’s monsoon season has seen devastating rainfall over the country for the past several weeks.
At least one thousand people have died, and millions have been flooded out of their homes.
Estimates are that as much as one-quarter of Pakistan could be underwater by the time the monsoon ends.
