Opinions
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Maria Ressa awarded Nobel Peace Prize |
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Maria Ressa (Photo: Rappler.com) |
Veteran Philippine journalist Maria Ressa will receive the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 for her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” The Norwegian Nobel Committee made the announcement on Friday, October 8.
The 2021 prize was awarded jointly to Maria Ressa and Russian journalist, Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov.
“Ms Ressa and Mr. Muratov are receiving the Peace Prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia,” the Nobel committee said in a press release following the announcement. “At the same time, they are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.”
“I am speechless! Thank you so very much!” was Ressa’s immediate response when Olav Njølstad, Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, informed her of the honour in a telephone call.
“This is really for all journalists around the world,” said Ressa the following day. “We do need help on so many fronts – it is so much more difficult and dangerous to be a journalist today.”
Ressa is the first-ever Filipino to win a Nobel prize. She is also just one of 58 women to ever win the award.
U.S. border reopens to fully
vaccinated Canadians in November
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The Canada/U.S. border crossing at Emerson, MB. (Wikipedia photo) |
Fully vaccinated Canadians will be allowed to enter the United States at land and ferry border crossings starting in early November.
On October 12, U.S. officials announced a plan to reopen the land borders with Canada and Mexico, which have been closed for non-essential travel since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canadians have been allowed to travel by air to the U.S. throughout the pandemic and trade and business travel at land borders has not been restricted.
The land border reopening will be rolled out in two phases. The first phase, starting in November, will allow fully vaccinated Canadians to enter the U.S. at land and ferry entry points for non-essential reasons. This includes visiting friends or family, or tourism.
COVID-19 Bulletin #523 • October 25, 2021
Public health officials advise two new deaths in people with COVID-19 are being reported today:
- a male in his 70s from the Southern Health-Sante Sud health region (reported Saturday) linked to an unspecified variant of concern; and
- a male in his 80s from the Interlake-Eastern health region (reported Sunday) linked to an unspecified variant of concern.
Today's five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 3.9 per cent provincially and 1.7 per cent in Winnipeg. As of 9:30 a.m. today, 464 new cases of the virus have been identified since Friday: 130 cases on Friday, Oct 22; 107 cases Saturday, Oct 23; 149 cases Sunday, Oct. 24; and 78 cases today. This includes:
- 17 cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region;
- 81 cases in the Northern health region;
- 57 cases in the Prairie Mountain health region;
- 180 cases in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region; and
- 129 cases in the Winnipeg health region.