Headline

Travel Chaos: Air Canada Shut Down By Flight Attendant Strike

Published

2 weeks ago

August 16, 2025

Air Canada’s flight attendants went on strike early Saturday, forcing the airline to suspend all operations and creating travel chaos for its 130,000 daily passengers.

“We are now officially on strike,” the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants, said in a statement, ITV reports.

The airline, which operates direct flights to 180 cities worldwide, confirmed it had “suspended all operations” in response to the stoppage.

“Air Canada is strongly advising affected customers not to go to the airport,” it said, adding that it “deeply regrets the effect the strike is having on customers.”

CUPE was legally able to strike from 12:01 a.m. (0401 GMT) Saturday, after giving a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday. The walkout officially began at 12:58 a.m., both sides confirmed.

Air Canada had been winding down operations ahead of the labour action. By 8:00 p.m. Friday, it had cancelled 623 flights affecting more than 100,000 passengers. Its full 700-flight schedule for Saturday has been scrapped.

Unpaid Ground Work at Issue
Alongside wage increases, CUPE says it wants compensation for unpaid ground duties, such as helping passengers during boarding.

Rafael Gomez, head of the University of Toronto’s Center for Industrial Relations, said it is “common practice, even around the world” to pay flight attendants only for time spent in the air.

He noted the union had built an effective campaign around the issue.

“‘I’m waiting to board the plane and there’s a flight attendant helping me, but they’re technically not being paid for that work,’” he said an average passenger might think.

“That’s a very good issue to highlight,” Gomez added, suggesting any gains made by Air Canada flight attendants could influence other carriers.

Air Canada outlined its latest offer in a Thursday statement, saying that under the terms, a senior flight attendant would earn on average CAN$87,000 ($65,000) by 2027.

CUPE has rejected the proposal, describing Air Canada’s offers as “below inflation (and) below market value.” The union has also turned down requests from the federal government and the airline to send the dispute to independent arbitration.

Stalemate During Peak Travel Season
Gomez said he did not expect the strike to last long.

“This is peak season,” he said. “The airline does not want to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue… They’re almost playing chicken with the flight attendants.”

The strike comes as Canada’s economy is already feeling pressure from U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump, affecting key industries such as auto, aluminum and steel.

The Business Council of Canada warned before the walkout that an Air Canada shutdown could worsen the strain.

“At a time when Canada is dealing with unprecedented pressures on our critical economic supply chains, the disruption of national air passenger travel and cargo transport services would cause immediate and extensive harm to all Canadians,” it said.

Headline

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

Headline

US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”