Malcolm

osef Federman and Jon Gambrell JERUSALEM - Booms and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem early Sunday after Iran launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East ever closer to a regionwide war. The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Condemnation was swift, with France saying that "Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation." Britain called the attacks "reckless." Download the CTV News App for breaking news alerts and video on all the top stories(opens in a new tab) RELATED STORIES Iran launches its first direct military attack against Israel How does Israel's multilayered air-defence system work? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemns Iran's attacks on Israel There was no immediate word from authorities on whether any explosions were an incoming attack. Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places, including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border. Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said it was treating a 10-year-old boy in critical condition in the Bedouin area in the Arad region but provided no details. U.S. forces downed some of the Iran-launched drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defence official and two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The defence official said the effort to intercept the attack was ongoing. Israel's military said over 100 drones had been fired. It didn't mention ballistic missiles, which are less easily shot down, but Iran said they were part of the attack. "We are monitoring the threat," the Israeli military's spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, announced in a nationwide television address. Air raid sirens have sounded in Jerusalem as a series of explosions were heard in the skies. (Screen grab via CNN) Iran had vowed revenge since an April 1 airstrike in Syria killed two Iranian generals inside an Iranian consular building. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israel hasn't commented on it. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel's six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israel's northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. In a statement carried late Saturday by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching "dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime." In a later statement, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the U.S.: "The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Iran's interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Iran's armed forces." IRNA also quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound. Israel has missile defence systems capable of targeting ballistic missiles. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher. Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Online videos shared by Iranian state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136s long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The slow-flying drones carry bombs. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target them. Israel has a multilayered air-defence network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. Hagari, the army spokesman, said Israel was "prepared and ready." But he cautioned that the air defences are not 100 per cent effective and urged the public to heed safety instructions. The army ordered residents in the Golan Heights -- near the Syrian and Lebanese borders -- as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat "to stay near protective spaces until further notice." Dimona is home to Israel's main nuclear facility, and Nevatim has a major air base. The army's Home Front Command cancelled school on Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel closed its airspace and cancelled all flights. Earlier Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu(opens in a new tab) warned: "Whoever harms us, we will harm them." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu provides a statement in response to a drone attack launched by Iran, April 13, 2024. (X / Prime Minister of Israel) In Washington, President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House. He was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday to discuss the unfolding attack, the White House said. "The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defence against these threats from Iran," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defence officials about the Iranian threat. The Central Command oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East. Iran's mission to the United Nations issued a warning to both Israel and the U.S. "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," it wrote online. "It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!" For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to "slap" Israel for its Syria strike. In Iran's capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hardliners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Iran's launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched "dozens" of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage. Countries in the region began to close their airspace. ------ Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP correspondents Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, Michael Balsamo in New York, Krutika Pathi in New Delhi, Stephen Graham in Berlin, Thomas Adamson in Paris, and Zeke Miller and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

NP View: Canada must support its troops if the troops are to support us Opinion by National Post View • 4h • 4 min read 1 Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) Charlie Company(C Coy) walks back to their vehicle after one of their training stands during Exercise Maple Guardian at Fort Irwin, Calif., U.S.© Provided by National Post In its century-plus of life, the Canadian Armed Forces have upheld a strong tradition of humbly, and valiantly, defending the freedom of Canada and its allies. Our soldiers have always stood up for Canada, and it’s time Canada stood up for them. Since Confederation, the Canadian tradition of service has brought about many acts of extreme bravery. The Boer War saw five Canadians decorated with the highest military decoration in the British Empire, the Victoria Cross; the First World War, another 73; the Second, another 16. Later, our soldiers shipped off to Korea, where, in the 1950s, they repelled relentless attacks in remote mountains by waves of communist Chinese forces at night, often outnumbered and sometimes cut off from supply lines. Entering the 1990s, they joined the Gulf War, our fighter pilots unfazed in escorting American bombers. They went to Kosovo in 1999, where Canadian pilots made precision bombing runs and disproportionately took on high-risk missions — risking their safety and that of their families, who faced “very real threats of retribution threatened by elements sympathetic to the Serbian cause, in Canada and abroad,” according to a 2000 Canadian Military Journal account. >After 9/11, they served in Afghanistan for more than a decade. More than 40,000 Canadians joined the mission, battling Taliban fighters throughout dusty, 50C summers as NATO attempted to stabilize a region governed by terrorists and torn by tribal warfare. Platoons faced firefights that could escalate into fatal ambushes and witnessed horrors as the enemy rained mortar on local children. The CAF lost 158 soldiers in those years. After 2014, we continued to serve in the Middle East in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Canadian pilots conducted more than 200 airstrikes against terrorist fighting positions from 2014 to 2016. Canadian special ops soldiers even made the then- record-longest sniper kill of 3,540 metres sometime during the Iraq mission, a shot that was taken to protect partner Iraqi forces on the ground as they faced trouble. They serve humbly; no questions asked, and no need for honours or awards. An incredible example is that of Pte. Jess Larochelle , who in 2006 defended his outnumbered company with a broken back and detached retina. He was never awarded the Canadian Victoria Cross despite campaigns to convince the government to do so, appreciative of the recognition he had received already. He died last summer of his injuries at age 40. That’s the military in Canada: an incredible record of brave service, but humble. And, unfortunately, underappreciated at home. That’s one of the reasons the National Post has launched the Heroes Among Us series, profiling Pte. Larochelle and nine other brave men who could become the first to be awarded the Canadian Victoria Cross, our highest medal for bravery in the presence of the enemy. These stories aim to remind Canadians what we’re capable of. Neglect isn’t a partisan issue. It’s endemic in Canadian culture, no matter who is in charge. The reasons for this likely come from a number of different places. School is one, as military history is often lacking from study beyond the World Wars, relegating the CAF to the past in the minds of students. Media is another, as the fear of glorifying violence easily crosses over into refusal to tell stories of pride and valour. We’re not like the Americans, who make their military history accessible to the masses through film and TV. Sure, we have Passchendaele , but we don’t have much else. Then there’s the general declining state of the military — which the public sees — and the military’s hesitance to boast. We see the lack of funds, the members without homes , the outdated equipment. The dignity and prowess of the 1940s CAF just isn’t provided for today. The military’s current dilapidation is a product of successive governments, all complacent in its well-being, all unwilling to have the courage to fix it. Public funds were always thought best spent elsewhere. Major, multi-billion-dollar purchases necessary for our security were put off, for years, to keep accusations of overspending at bay. Meanwhile, barriers to operations simply weren’t fixed — take the CAF’s honourable hunt for Somali pirates in the aughts, which was constrained by an ineffective “catch and release” policy. New threats are rising on the horizon. At home is an undefended Arctic , lacking in ice-capable ships and deep-water ports. It’s a strategic zone that we continue to ignore as Russia builds up its own capacity to act in the North, and as China describes itself as a “near-Arctic” country while building icebreakers . Overseas, Russia can carry on a war of attrition in Ukraine for many more years if it needs, which is a luxury that Ukraine’s smaller population does not have. France readies for war. China bides its time for a destabilized West, a stretched-thin United States military and an under-defended Taiwan. Hamas refuses to end its fight with Israel as Islamists sabre-rattle from Iran, eager to join. Canadian allies are in a precarious position worldwide. There may soon come a time when Canadian soldiers will be asked to do more than they are already. When that time comes, we will need to be a nation that truly appreciates its military, culturally and financially. Service members need support in the present if they are to support us in the future. National Post

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/travel/news/170-000-flying-car-achieves-first-flight/vi-AA1jQeG3?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=EDGEXST&cvid=eb93e04684274baef69e1bfe9865e9df&ei=46

An update: Follow 558.5K Followers Canadian A220 jet workers reach tentative agreement with Airbus Story by Reuters • 20m • 1 min read MONTREAL (Reuters) -The union representing Canadian Airbus A220 workers said on Friday it reached an agreement in principle with the planemaker, with members to vote on the proposed deal on April 21. The estimated 1,300 Montreal-area assembly workers have rejected two previous offers from Airbus, which wants to ramp up production of the money-losing single-aisle jet. Airbus' Canadian division said in a statement that it views positively that a negotiated tentative agreement was reached with union representatives. "We are committed to reaching an agreement on the terms of a new collective agreement that will be positive and fair for both parties, while ensuring the long-term success of the A220," it said. (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Leslie Adler and Richard Chang) Canadian A220 jet workers reach tentative agreement with Airbus (msn.com)

From the story: Over the long term, Flint said she anticipates some moderate increases in Pearson’s Airport Improvement Fee, in consideration of the levels of such fees at other airports in the country. fact the current fee at YYZ was increased by $5.00 in jan of this year. Toronto’s Pearson Airport to get multibillion-dollar renovation: GTAA By Rosa Saba The Canadian Press Posted April 12, 2024 7:51 am Toronto’s airports authority has announced a multibillion-dollar plan to update and modernize Toronto Pearson Airport. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority said it launched the first phase of procurement for Pearson LIFT, a plan intended to help the airport meet growing demand for its services. “This is the very beginning of what will be a decade-long investment in our facilities and our terminals across the airport,” said Deborah Flint, president and CEO of the GTAA. “After many, many years, where we have had tired and aged assets across the airport facility, we’ll be systematically investing in those, investing in them to bring them up to not just a state of great repair, but positioning them for the future.” 2:23Toronto Pearson Airport user fees going up next year Pearson saw 45 million passengers in 2023 and is expected to see about 65 million annually by the early 2030s, the GTAA said in a press release. “Toronto Pearson has been meeting passenger needs by deploying extraordinary resources to many of its aged assets and facilities, which is not a sustainable solution with passenger traffic expected to grow,” it said. The daily email you need for Calgary's top news stories. “Growth is coming to Pearson. It’s coming across the global aviation industry and across North America,” said Flint. LIFT, which stands for Long term Investment in Facilities and Terminals, will begin with a program focused on “the fundamentals,” said Flint. The program will see the modernization of existing airport assets, including high-speed taxi lanes, a modernized airfield electric lighting and control system, and interim terminal facilities, according to the press release. The plan also includes investments in power generation to help the airport achieve net-zero targets. “After what we experienced with the surge of growth and recovery, the challenges with our facilities in the recent past, we want to get ahead of that as best we can and start to develop those facilities that are going to help us expand sooner,” said Flint. 2:38Toronto Pearson Airport rolls out electronic gates These improvements are the ones that the GTAA is starting procurement for, while other projects are in earlier planning stages, Flint said. Flint said LIFT has been significantly informed by the challenges of the past several years, as a surge in airline traffic resulted in delays across the industry. “We’re very committed to making sure that Toronto Pearson … is not going to experience the challenges of the past that will hinder its growth and competitiveness,” she said. Over the long term, Flint said she anticipates some moderate increases in Pearson’s Airport Improvement Fee, in consideration of the levels of such fees at other airports in the country. The plan is poised to generate billions of dollars in economic benefits, said GTAA chairman Doug Allingham in the release. “These necessary investments will strengthen the supply chain, open the door to new opportunities for Canadian businesses, and create good jobs right here in the GTA,” he said. “Together, they will enable sustainable growth and competitiveness on a global scale.”

and to get a feel for "real climate" Trending Now Weather Videos | AccuWeather

Rumour has our navy possibly purchasing nuclear subs. Trudeau says Canada to purchase new submarines, will consider nuclear | National Postanada to look at new submarines, and Trudeau doesn't rule out nuclear option New, not used, British subs would fit the bill, but as normal we may be shopping in the used "bargain" basement. The Royal Navy's 'silent enforcers': How a new generation of nuclear submarines loaded with weaponry will keep the UK safe (msn.com)

Scary but the US is after all a "gun" based society. Following is a link to a graphic showing the cities Firearms Discovered at TSA Checkpoints in 2023 Here is a link to our CBSA Canada Border Services Agency seizures (cbsa-asfc.gc.ca) From the report FirearmsFootnote4 Number 250 321 179 - 750 Prohibited weapons Number 5,094 8,997 7,781 - 21,872

NTSB Looking Into More Door Plug Repair Instances At Boeing Story by Rich Thomaselli • 45m • 2 min read National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee that her investigators are looking at other instances in which Boeing employees removed and then reinstalled door plugs on airplanes. The investigation stems from the January 5 incident in which a door panel blew off in Alaska Airlines plane in midflight. Apparently, four critical bolts that were supposed to be reinstalled were not done so properly or not done at all. Boeing previously said there is no documentation available regarding the work. That has angered Committee Chairperson Senator Maria Cantwell:“On this case, you’re saying in this case records don't exist, but you have other records that show when plugs were opened and closed? There are other instances where that kind of repair was documented?” Homendy replied, “There are other instances where that work would occur. We still have to review all those instances to see if that was documented.” Is documentation available if there were other incidents? Whether or not other instances were found in which there was documentation available would deal a blow to Boeing and reflect poorly on the company, adding to the perception that Boeing is trying to impede the Alaska Airlines investigation. Or worse, that Boeing has a history of undocumented repair work. Homendy suggested that the missing documentation on the Alaska Airlines repair was an exception. “The records don't exist that what we are looking for, but that is, what we would call, an escape from normal process,” Homendy said. “We are looking at other instances where a door plug was opened and closed, to make sure those records are available. We are looking at how this happened.” In other words, if documentation was available for repair work on other planes, why isn’t it available for this particular incident involving Alaska Airlines? Homendy said that NTSB investigators are back at Boeing’s headquarters this week. “I don't think there is anyone from Boeing from (CEO) Dave Calhoun down that doesn't want to know what happened here,” Homendy told the Committee. “They want to know and they want to fix it. And we are there to help. But we are also there to look at what more can be done, what the safety culture is, what the safety management system is — it is relatively new – how that can be improved, and their quality management system. We do have a lot of work to do.”

The registration sort of fits.... the role the aircraft is in. Airline: Vaasan Laskuvarjokerho - Skydive Vaasa Reg: OH-WTF photos Aircraft: Cessna 182Q Skylane II Serial #: 18267446 Photo date: 2018-08-25 Uploaded: 2018-10-14 Likes: 10 Comments: 2 Views: 12,280 Location: Vaasa - EFVA, Finland

The author is Toronto Star Heather Mallick Star Columnist

United Postpones Two International Inaugural Flights Following Safety Incidents The airline pushed back new flights to Portugal and the Philippines. United Airlines has postponed a pair of inaugural flights, citing delays by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following a series of recent safety incidents. The airline has delayed the start of a new route between Newark and Faro in the Algarve region of Portugal as well as between Tokyo and Cebu in the Philippines, United confirmed to Travel + Leisure. The decision was made to halt the routes following a pause on some FAA certifications. A spokesperson for United told T+L customers who were scheduled to fly on these delayed routes “can receive full refunds or we will rebook their travel on one of our partner airlines without a fee.” The Portugal route, which United first announced last year, was set to launch on May 24 and operate four times each week on a Boeing 757-200 aircraft. At the time of the announcement, United said it would have made it the first airline to fly direct between the United States and Faro. United told T+L it would now plan to launch that flight in the summer of 2025. The nonstop flight between Tokyo and Cebu was set to launch July 31 with daily flights on Boeing 737-800 aircraft, United noted. That flight is now scheduled to launch on Oct. 27. The FAA’s probe of United came on the heels of several recent mid-air and on-the-ground incidents, including an aircraft panel falling off mid-flight, an aircraft losing a wheel during takeoff, and a plane’s engine catching fire. The increased oversight also followed United’s discovery of loose bolts on its 737 MAX 9 aircraft following a mid-air blowout of a plug door panel on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 plane. Related video: United Airlines CEO looks to reassure customers after plane issues (TODAY) Meantime, back here at home, United Airlines is looking to Loaded: 7.95% Play Current Time 0:01 / Duration 3:46 Quality Settings Captions Fullscreen TODAY United Airlines CEO looks to reassure customers after plane issues Unmute 0 View on Watch Last month, United’s CEO Scott Kirby assured customers in a memo that “Safety is our highest priority and is at the center of everything we do.” While these routes are delayed, the airline does plan on expanding closer to home this summer, including adding new flights to national parks and outdoor destinations in Canada and introducing a new route to Anchorage, Alaska.

It was you who posted the article that my rebuttal was about , was it your aim to post excuses or ?

Jaded I guess, I could not get excited about seeing an eclipse..... boring......

the survey talks about the average driver in the us, it does not address the lack of chargers, low trade in value, higher repair cost, higher Auto Insurance Rate or indeed those who take longer weekend trips on a speedway or out into the country.. according to Forbes: 5 Reasons Why Electric Vehicle Sales Have Slowed Michael Harley Contributor Michael Harley is an author and a noted automotive industry expert. Follow 4 Oct 30, 2023,02:43am EDT The wedge-shaped Tesla Cybertruck enters the marketplace as EV sales fall off ©2023 MICHAEL HARLEY There’s been a lot of recent news about automakers cutting back or delaying production of electric vehicles (EV) due to slowing consumer demand. The headlines include Ford announcing it was postponing $12 billion in planned electric vehicle production, GM abandoning a goal to build 400,000 electric vehicles through mid-2024, and Volkswagen Group cancelling plans for a new $2 billion EV factory in Germany. Why are consumers less-than-hot on EVs today, following a significant boost in sales in 2021? Here are five reasons why consumers are cooling off in 2023: Unfamiliarity with the product Automakers initially touted EVs as electric variants of traditional combustion vehicles, which did themselves a disservice. That couldn’t be further from the truth, as EVs are as dissimilar to pure combustion vehicles as propellor aircraft are to jets. EVs are less complex to build, more technically advanced, and require far less maintenance than their gasoline- and diesel-powered equivalents. Consumers don’t understand the nuances between the two powertrains — especially because the added initial cost of an EV pays for itself with a much longer (and less expensive) service life. PROMOTED Lingering Concerns of Range According to Department of Transportation statistics, the average driver in the United States drives 37 miles per day, which is effortlessly covered by today’s EVs (in 2010, the average EV only delivered about 80 miles of range, but by 2021, that number had exceeded 220 miles). Nearly all of today’s EVs will provide approximately 250 miles on a full charge, with some offering nearly double — upwards of 500 miles on a single charge. Yet consumers still mention range as one of their primary concerns about EVs. Limited Charging Network Every city and town in the United States has at least one gas station, and fuel stops may be found at nearly every offramp on highways and interstates — most drivers don’t even think about where they will find fuel until their vehicle is near empty. But that isn’t the case with EVs, as the national charging network is still in its infancy. A road trip in an EV requires planning, and drivers need to add additional time to the journey as replenishment (to 80 percent charge) typically requires 20-30 minutes — news that isn’t comforting tonyone in the market for an EV. Forbes Lifestyle00:1601:12Why Clouds Could Disappear As The Total SolarEclipse Begins MORE FROMFORBES ADVISOR Best Car Insurance Companies Of October 2022 By Penny Gusner Editor Compare Car Insurance Quotes Online (2022 Rates) By Jason Metz Editor Early Adopters Have Been Fulfilled As is typical with new emerging technology, the first wave of buyers were higher-income households, enthusiastic technophiles, and those concerned about the environment. That is a particular demographic that comprises only a small portion of consumers — adoption is expected to be much slower for other demographics. Automakers will have to engineer more entry-level models to reach a less affluent demographic and target buyers with vehicles that specifically replace their combustion counterparts. Passport: Explore the finest destinations and experiences around the world in the Forbes Passport newsletter. Sign Up By signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Service (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. High-Interest Rates Electric vehicles are more expensive than their combustion counterparts — often upwards of 30 percent before incentives and credits are factored into the sale. The post-pandemic economy has seen interest rates rise significantly, which has slowed all vehicle sales — not just EVs. But, as they tend to be more expensive than an equivalent combustion vehicle, EVs are feeling the pinch extremely hard.