Over 40 countries converge to support Ukraine
A coalition of more than 40 countries, from as far afield as Australia and South Korea, will meet monthly to continue discussions on how to defeat Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Their first meeting yesterday, in Germany, saw members pledging to step up their military assistance to Ukraine, including supplying heavy weapons such as tanks and artillery.
U-S General Mark Milley says time is not on the side of Ukraine and speed is of the essence.
Russia is stepping up its attacks in southeast Ukraine, with airstrikes hitting a bridge linking the country to Romania.
There are also fears that Russian troops may invade a portion of Moldova now held by Russian-backed separatists.
Russia cuts off Poland and Bulgaria’s gas supplies
Russia has cut off natural gas supplies to NATO members Poland and Bulgaria for failing to pay for the shipments in Russian rubles.
The move is the most severe economic sanction Russia has levied against the West so far for its support of Ukraine.
The Polish government says its supplies are in good shape, with local storage of natural gas and supplies from other sources.
Bulgarian officials say they’re looking to other countries to make up the shortfall.
Russia supplies about 40 percent of the natural gas used in western Europe.
Long term care and the Liberals and the election
The Ontario Long Term Care Association is heavily criticizing the provincial Liberals for their election promise to end for-profit long-term care by 2028.
Liberal leader Stephen Del Duca says, instead, his government would concentrate on a vast expansion of home care.
He says the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that putting people in long-term care has been one of the “great mistakes of the 20th century.”
The Association says Del Duca’s approach ignores the needs of those who can’t care for their elderly relatives and demoralizes their workforce.
But the Liberal leader notes the group represents for-profit homes and they can complain all they want.
BOLO – The Most Wanted
Crime-Stoppers, in cooperation with police forces across the country, has launched a new program aimed at tracking down Canada’s 25 most-wanted criminals.
It’s called the “BOLO Program”, that’s police shorthand for “be on the lookout.”
Rewards of up to 250-thousand dollars are being offered for the capture of those on the list.
Twelve of the 25 are from the Toronto area, including Canada’s most wanted, a 32-year-old man being sought for first-degree murder in a shooting death last fall.