Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, whose scandal-plagued time in office made
him an international celebrity, has died at 46. Here are some of the
moments from the politician’s life in the public eye.
Toronto mayor Rob Ford reacts as he speaks to his supporters during his campaign launch in Toronto on April 17, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Toronto Councillor Rob Ford
gives two thumbs up as he poses for a photo before surgery to remove a
cancerous tumour from his abdomen in Toronto on May 11, 2015, in this
handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Dan Jacobs
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, left, leave a campaign rally in Toronto on Oct. 17, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Mayor Rob Ford makes his way through thousands of people at Ford Fest in Toronto on July 25, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
This March 3, 2014 image released by ABC shows Toronto Mayor Rob Ford,
left, having his forehead wiped by host Jimmy Kimmel on the late night
talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” in Los Angeles. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, ABC, Randy Holmes
In this Sunday, March 2, 2014 photo released by ABC shows Rob Ford
on the 9th annual “Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars” Special on the
ABC, broadcast from Disney’s El Capitan Theater located on Hollywood
Boulevard, in Los Angles. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-ABC, Randy Holmes
Toronto City Mayor Rob Ford attends an Executive Committee meeting at Toronto’s City Hall on December 5, 2013. Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, whose scandal-plagued time in office made him an international celebrity, has died. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford addresses the crowd at Ford Fest in Toronto on Saturday September 27, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford shares a joke with Budget Chief Frank
Di Giorgio the council floor in Toronto on Thursday January 30 , 2014. THE
CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Toronto City Mayor Rob Ford
reacts as Don Bosco Eagles, the High School team he coaches, trail in
their 28-14 defeat to Huron Heights Warriors in the Metro Cup in Toronto
on November 27, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Toronto City Mayor Rob Ford, left, takes on Hulk Hogan in an arm-wrestling match to promote Fan Expo in Toronto on August 23, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford
poses for a photo opportunity with other dignitaries in a shark’s jaws
at the opening of Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada in Toronto on October 16,
2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, centre, speaks to the media at city hall in Toronto on Nov. 26, 2012. Ford has been ordered out of office after a judge ruled Monday he broke conflict of interest rules. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Toronto Mayor-elect Rob Ford,
centre, raises his arms with his wife Renata, right, and mother Diane,
left, as he speaks to supporters in Toronto on October 25, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford
is shown with what appears to be a pipe in an image taken from the
Gawker.com website. The image was posted April 30, the same evening the
mayor announced he was taking leave to deal with substance abuse
problems. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Gawker.com
Watching movies and TV shows on Netflix is a relaxing and carefree experience for most of us, but for anyone sensitive to violent scenes, binge-watching can be problematic. That’s why Danielle Leong created Feerless, a Google Chrome extension that issues discreet trigger warnings in real time to soften the viewing experience for people who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Binge-watching may be one of the wonders of the modern world, but surprise events can be seriously damaging if you suffer from PTSD. Leong says Feerless was inspired by her own experience of a triggering incident while catching up on “Sons of Anarchy”. She was prepared for the biker gang drama, the tattoos, drugs, and turf wars. But when a graphic rape scene became an unexpected part of the narrative, Leong had a visceral reaction tied to her own PTSD as a sexual assault survivor. Any kind of sensory stimuli can become triggers for those with PTSD, so that directly or even tangentially related sights, sounds, and smells are reminders of the original traumatic event. Leong says she wishes she’d had a trigger warning while watching the show, so she could step away or even hit fast forward to skip over the problematic scene.
Since there was no trigger warning service available yet, Leong decided to create one. Feerless is available as a free Google Chrome extension. It relies on crowdsourced data to identify scenes that could be triggers for PTSD sufferers, based on graphic content, violent topics, and more. When a potential trigger scene is coming up soon, a subtle bubble pops up in the bottom right corner of the Netflix screen so that you can exit the window, fast-forward, or simply look away.
The idea of providing forewarning to PTSD sufferers isn’t exactly new, and Feerless certainly isn’t the first to do it — but it is the first app of its kind to offer real-time warnings that are designed to be supportive in the moment and also don’t detract from the overall viewing experience. “My hope is that with this app it helps people say, “You know what? I went through something traumatic, and it’s OK to have these reactions, and it’s also OK to ask for help”, said Leong.
Move over, male superheroes. A new contest initiative from Marvel Entertainment encourages high school girls to develop science and tech projects that they believe can change the world.
Contest applicants will create innovative STEM-based projects that can be simple or complicated, but with an undeniably positive impact.
Image: marvel
Five finalists will win tickets to the red carpet premiere of Captain America: Civil War, while the grand prize winner will walk away with an internship at Marvel Studios.
In the video, Olsen notes that even though Marvel’s heroes are divided in Civil War, "they remain united by the same goals: the commitment to safeguard humanity, protect the Earth at all costs, and make the world a better place for future generations.”
Through the Civil War Challenge, Marvel encourages young girls to do just that.
Remember Qi Zai, the world’s last known brown giant panda bear?
The six-year-old is the final of eight of the animals with the fur mutation to have been spotted since 1985.
But, with China have suffered its coldest winter for three decades, some had worried Qi Zai may not survive.
Qi Zai is believed to be the last brown giant panda in the world (CEN)
However, these stunning pictures show he is alive and well – and still adorable as ever.
Born in the bamboo forests of China’s north-western Shaanxi Province in 2009, Qi Zai was fostered by researchers for the past two years until he was left to put his body to the test against the chilly winter.
Qi Zai braved -30c conditions in China (CEN)
Having been living in Shaanxi’s Wild Panda Training Base in Foping National Nature Reserve, Qi Zai was fattened up before he faced temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius on his own.
Only eight brown giant panda bears have been spotted since 1985 (CEN)
Reports said he was fed 50 kilogrammes (110 lbs) of bamboo every day in order to ensure that he stored enough energy for the harsh winter ahead.
Researchers were then both happy and relieved to see that Qi Zai did eat enough to survive the cold months, with pictures of a still fat and furry panda showing him awaiting the arrival of springtime.
The bear has been living in Shaanxi’s Wild Panda Training Base in Foping National Nature Reserve (CEN)
Scientists are still unsure how the brown fur comes, and why brown giant pandas have only been spotted in the forests of Shaanxi’s Qinling Mountains so far.
The bear was fed bamboo to help him bulk up for the winter (CEN)
It has been suggested that environmental factors such as soil and water may be responsible for the rare mutation, as Qi Zai’s mother was a panda with the regular black and white fur.
ISLAMABAD - The Latest on the bombing of a park in the Pakistani city of Lahore (all times local):
12.00 p.m.
A spokesman for Lahore rescue administration says that the Easter Sunday bomb attack on a park in the eastern Pakistani city has killed 65 people.
Deeba Shahnaz said Sunday that over 300 people were wounded in the bombing at Gulshan-e-Iqbal park, which was claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the Pakistani Taliban.
The park was crowded with Christians celebrating Easter.
___
11.30 p.m.
A breakaway faction of the militant Taliban group in Pakistan has claimed responsibility for an Easter Sunday bomb attack on a park in the eastern city of Lahore that killed 60 people, and wounded 300.
Ahsanullah Ahsan, spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, told the Associated Press Sunday that a suicide bomber with the faction deliberately targeted the Christian community. He warned that more attacks would follow.
Senior police officer Haider Ashraf says the explosion took place close to the children’s rides in Gulshan-e-Iqbal park, which was crowded with Christian families celebrating Easter.
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10.00 p.m.
A spokesman for the Punjab government says that a bomb attack on a park in the Pakistani city of Lahore has killed 60 people and injured 300.
Zaeem Qadri said Sunday that the chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, has announced three days mourning and pledged to ensure that those involved in the attack are brought to trial.
Senior police officer Haider Ashraf says the explosion took place close to the children’s rides in Gulshan-e-Iqbal park. He says the explosion appeared to have been a suicide bombing, but investigations were ongoing. The area was crowded with Christians celebrating the Easter holidays, he said.
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9.00 p.m.
A health official says that 44 people have been killed and 91 wounded in a blast in a park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.
Salman Rafiq, an adviser to the chief minister of Punjab province, said Sunday that many of the wounded are in a critical condition.
Senior police officer Haider Ashraf says the explosion took place close to the children’s rides in Gulshan-e-Iqbal park. He says the explosion appeared to have been a suicide bombing, but investigations were ongoing. The area was crowded with Christians celebrating the Easter holidays, he said.
___
8:00 p.m.
Pakistani police say at least 10 people have been killed and 30 wounded in a blast in a park in the eastern city of Lahore.
Senior police officer Haider Ashraf says the explosion took place Sunday in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal park. He says the explosion appeared to have been a suicide bombing, but investigations were ongoing.
He says the area was crowded because Christians are celebrating the Easter holiday and many families were leaving the park when the blast occurred. He says the death toll could still rise as many of the wounded were in a critical condition.
Microsoft’s efforts to address the “bro” culture that dominates the gaming industry took a stumble this week. To its credit, Microsoft immediately recognized the error and apologized for it.
Microsoft hired scantily clad “schoolgirl” dancers for its official Game Developers Conference after-party in San Francisco on Thursday night, report attendees on Twitter and Instagram.
Having the dancers, who were also said to have been paid to socialize with attendees, undercuts Microsoft’s efforts to be more inclusive toward women in technology.
The company sponsored a Women in Games lunch at the same gaming event, and CEO Satya Nadella recently told shareholders at Microsoft's annual meeting that the company now has mandatory “unconscious bias” training and acknowledged that it was “not where we want to be” in terms of hiring diversity.
Several of the original Instagram and Twitter photos and videos of the party were taken down by the original users amid the backlash. This photo from party attendee Kamina Vincent remains online, with the faces of the dancers blurred:
Microsoft Xbox boss Phil Spencer issued a full apology, via a statement provided to Business Insider:
At Xbox-hosted events at GDC this past week, we represented Xbox and Microsoft in a way that was not consistent or aligned to our values. It was unequivocally wrong and will not be tolerated. I know we disappointed many people and I’m personally committed to holding ourselves to higher standards. We must ensure that diversity and inclusion are central to our everyday business and core values. We will do better in the future.
Attacks on Brussels airport and Metro station have killed up to 23 people. The airport attack centred on an American Airlines desk in the departure lounge. Belgian news agencies say shots were fired and there were shouts in Arabic shortly before the blast. Another explosion occurred at a metro station close to the European Union headquarters.
Aftermath
The aftermath of this morning’s explosion at Brussels airport. (Facebook/Jef Versele)
Devastation
People shelter in Brussels airport after the explosion that killed up to 13 people. (Facebook/Ketevan Kardava)
Shocking
An injured victim following the bomb blast in Brussels airport. (Facebook/Ketevan Kardava)
Terrified
Shaken airport staff leave the building following the bomb blasts. (AP)
Crisis
Belgian police and emergency staff arrive at the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi junction after it was evacuated following an explosion at the Maelbeek metro station. (AFP Photo/Laurie Dieffembacq)
Aftershock
Smoke rises from Brussels airport following the attack centred on the American Airlines desk in the departures hall. (Sky News)
Wreckage
Shattered windows at Brussels airport following the explosion. (IBT)
Fleeing The Scene
Passengers rush out of Brussels airport after the explosion that killed up to 13 people. (IBT)
Emergency Response
Belgian emergency services at the scene of the explosion at Brussels airport. (Reuters)
Seeking Safety
Passengers evacuate Brussels airport following the bomb blast. (Rex)
Critical Condition
Emergency rescue workers stretcher an unidentified person at the site of the explosion at a metro station in Brussels. (APTN via AP)
Emotion
A man cries near the scene of the deadly explosion at Brussels airport. (Rex)
Second Attack
Smoke pours from Maelbeek metro after a second explosion ripped through the station. (AFP)
Rush To Help
Emergency services help victims on the street outside the Maelbeek metro station. (Sky News)
Evacuated
Metro passengers walk along the track as they evacuate after the blast at Maelbeek station.
Military Response
Soldiers head towards Maelbeek station following the Metro blast. (Rex)
It’s true, actually. These nuns, known as Sisters of the Valley, have been getting a lot of attention recently for promoting the medical benefits of marijuana. In fact, they’ve been getting so much attention that their Etsy store, which sold CBD tinctures, oils and sprays, was shut down, prompting a GoFundMe page.
Now, a picture of nuns surrounded by a room full of pot plants isn’t something you see every day. So naturally, the photo-altering wizards at Reddit’s Photoshop Battles decided to enhance this photo of the sisters.
The original image depicts the two nuns burning what appears to be sage sticks, but instead Redditor workingat7 skillfully turned the women into smoke.