More than 150 mobsters arrested across Europe news

At least 100 killed in floods in Democratic Republic of Congo

More than 100 people have died in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as a result of heavy rains and flooding. According to preliminary information, the administration of the province of South Kivu told the AFP news agency today that about a hundred people had died. Several villages in the Kalehe area west of Lake Kivu were flooded when rivers overflowed after heavy rains.

Kalehe MP Vital Muhini told a local radio station that the floods had caused “devastating human and material damage”. He spoke of around 150 deaths and many missing. 72 people died in Chabondo village, 31 in Bushungu village and 45 in Nyamukubi village.

A member of a rescue team sent this afternoon said 68 bodies had been found. The search for the missing continues.

127 killed in Rwanda

Just a few days ago, 127 people died after heavy rains in neighboring Rwanda across Lake Kivu.

At least 100 killed in floods in Democratic Republic of Congo Read More »

Harry Potter Hunger Games ChatGPT Practices by Looting Protected Books

Harry Potter, Hunger Games: ChatGPT Practices by Looting Protected Books – ActuaLitté

researchers out University of Berkeley (California) argue with supporting evidence that ChatGPT and its successor GPT-4 stored a large number of copyrighted book pages. The authors, including Kent Chang, Mackenzie Cramer, Sandeep Soni and David Bamman, thus raise the question of the legality of language models as soon as they refer to copyrighted works.

The two artificial intelligences were developed by the OpenAI private company and trained on huge amounts of data, but it is unclear what texts the AIs are built from.

572 uniquely identified books

The title of the article comes from the poem itself: Speak, Memory: An Archeology of Books Known to ChatGPT/GPT-4 (see here). The conclusions will enrage you legal advice “We find that the OpenAI models have stored a large collection of copyrighted material. »

READ – The judgment of a robot’s crimes, or the process of an artificial intelligence

And the rest is in the yardstick: “The degree of use correlates with the frequency with which passages of these books appear on the web. In short, the more a title is cited on the web, the more robots are interested in it. And take it for reference.

Science fiction, fantasy: the taste of AI

Controlling and verifying the sources that AIs draw from is a headache. In fact, the completely unknown corpora make any quantitative and qualitative analysis difficult. To answer this, the researchers conducted a “name clone” type test: the solution ratings the number of occurrences of terms. It leads to the identification of the passages used by the machine.

Conclusion: the novels Science Fiction and Fantasy are among the first sources: the titles Harry Potter, the saga of Hunger Games, Dune or even The Iron Throne… We also discover public domain works like Orwell’s 1984 or The Lord of the Rings. No difficulty on this point. The full list of titles identified is also available at this address: more than half of the 572 titles listed were published after 1960.

AI and transparency…

In their recommendations, scientists plead for a more consistent use of publicly accessible data and works. Transparency which would also result to avoid counterfeiting.

READ – IA: Authors concerned about “misappropriation” of works

With AI development labs not disclosing any of the sources used in their machine enrichment work, the legal risks are now becoming clear.

to make efforts

“Data maintenance is still very immature in terms of machine learning,” summarizes Margaret Mitchell, AI researcher at the register.

However, the study focuses less on the copyright implications and more on the corpora – and thus the nature of the serving works for the development of AI. However, the effects can be easily guessed as long as the tools use protected works.

READ – Cut the fat with Plato, Marx or Nietzsche: it’s possible

In addition, there is a precedent: the natural language developed by a certain search engine, Google, was based on the digitization of millions of books. This was one of the great purposes of google books, now converted into an online bookstore. However, of all the documents scanned and reproduced, the number of books in copyright was worth trying.

Certainly lost by the plaintiffs… but still.

Photo credit: ActuaLitté, CC BY SA 2.0

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Wagner Group Why Russian mercenaries threaten withdrawal from Ukrainian city

Wagner Group: Why Russian mercenaries threaten withdrawal from Ukrainian city

1 of 2 Yevgeny Prigozhin announced he will be leaving town — Photo: Concord Press Service/Via BBC Yevgeny Prigozhin announced he will be leaving town — Photo: Concord Press Service/Via BBC

The leader of the Wagner group, a group of Russian mercenaries operating in the war in Ukraine, says his soldiers will withdraw from the town of Bakhmut next Wednesday (May 10) due to a lack of ammunition.

The leader of the mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, 61, recently posted a video of himself walking among the bodies of his dead subordinates, blaming the Russian authorities for the deaths. “Tens of thousands” of his soldiers were killed or wounded, he said.

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Russia has been attempting to capture the city for months although its strategic value is in question using Wagner Group soldiers on the offensive.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier this week that more than 20,000 Russian soldiers have been killed and another 80,000 injured in the Ukraine war since December. Half of those killed were soldiers of the Wagner Group.

In Friday’s statement, Prigozhin accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov of his decision to leave Bakhmut in a cursing speech.

“Shoigu! Gerasimov! Where’s the ammo? You came here as volunteers and die while you get fat in your marble offices!” he said.

The two members of the Russian government were often the target of Prigozhin’s wrath. Meanwhile, various groups among the allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin are vying for power.

In the statement, Prigozhin said that due to the lack of ammunition, Wagner group casualties “are increasing every day in geometric progression.”

However, he says his fighters will remain in their positions until May 9, when Russia celebrates World War II Victory Day.

In the previously released video, Prigozhin standing in front of his men said he would “transfer positions in the Bakhmut settlement to Defense Ministry units and move the remains of Wagner Group soldiers to logistics camps” to recover from defeats.

“My boys will not accept senseless and unjustified losses at Bakhmut due to lack of ammunition,” he added.

One of the videos released by Prigozhin on Friday appears to have been shot about 2 km outside the center of Bakhmut. The BBC compared ground features, including bushes and posts, to satellite imagery of the site.

Prigozhin uses public relations a lot as a strategy, and his influence appears to have waned in recent months. He has already made threats that he has not followed through on later saying they were just “jokes” and “military humour”.

Last week, he told a prowar Russian blogger that the group’s fighters were running low on supplies and needed thousands of rounds of ammunition.

The Kremlin did not comment on Prigozhin’s recent statements.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military says it has seen no change in the intensity of fighting near Bakhmut.

“For months, Prigozhin has been trying to make outrageous statements to draw attention to himself,” Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s Eastern Command, told BBC Ukraine.

Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Malyar said Russia is desperate to take Bakhmut by May 9. The war began in February 2022.

Prigozhin has become a key player in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at the head of a private mercenary army leading the Russian onslaught.

The group was made up mostly of exRussian soldiers between the ages of 30 and 35, but began recruiting prisoners from penal colonies in 2022 to fill staff shortages, according to information from BBC News Russia’s British intelligence service.

In return, freedom and financial compensation were offered. Also according to the investigation of the BBC service in Russia, lawyers say that sending prisoners to war is illegal in the country.

Despite this, the prison administrations released convicts to fight in Prigozhin’s group.

Russian mercenaries and military men fight side by side against the Ukrainian military.

Prigozhin hails from St. Petersburg, the hometown of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He is the owner of several restaurants in the city and also has a company that makes food for events hired by the Kremlin earning Prigozhin the nickname “Putin’s Chef”.

2 of 2 Yevgeny Prigozhin is a personal friend of Putin — Photo: Concord Press Service/Via BBC Yevgeny Prigozhin is a personal friend of Putin — Photo: Concord Press Service/Via BBC

The battle for Bakhmut has dragged on for months. Ukraine decided to defend the city at all costs in an apparent attempt to concentrate Russian military resources in a location of relatively minor importance.

In February, Prigozhin had posted another picture of his dead troops, blaming army chiefs for their deaths.

Although the military at the time denied intentionally shortcircuiting Wagner’s ammunition, they responded by increasing supplies at the front lines.

US military analyst Rob Lee said on social media that Wagner’s latest complaint about shortages was likely the result of the Russian Defense Ministry’s rationing of ammunition ahead of Ukraine’s expected counteroffensive.

The ministry must defend the entire front line, but Prigozhin’s only concern is capturing Bakhmut, Lee wrote on Twitter.

If the Wagner group manages to take the city, Prigozhin can claim political credit, Lee added.

Ukrainian counteroffensive

The head of the mercenaries himself predicted that Ukraine’s counteroffensive will begin on May 15, as tanks and artillery will be able to advance in dry weather after the last spring rains.

In another move, Prigozhin appears to have hired an army general who was recently fired as head of logistics.

Colonel Mikhail Mizintsev has been dubbed the “Butcher of Mariupol” for his role in last year’s bombing of the southern Ukrainian port city that was captured by Russian forces a year ago. He has been responsible for logistics since September last year.

Prigozhin pointed out that the general did his best to supply the mercenaries with ammunition and cooperated in the group’s efforts to recruit convicted prisoners into its ranks.

But Prigozhin was previously filmed in a Russian prison telling inmates they would be released from prison if they served with his men in Ukraine prior to Mizintsev’s appointment as logistician.

Wagner Group: Why Russian mercenaries threaten withdrawal from Ukrainian city Read More »

1683321999 Hes just a bad person says Nathaly Caldonazzo from Cecchi

He’s just a bad person, says Nathaly Caldonazzo from Cecchi Paone on the Isola dei Famosi

At the Isola dei Famosi, Nathaly Caldonazzo spoke about Alessandro Cecchi Paone with Marco Mazzoli, who was visiting her at Playa Sant’Elena. “He’s just a bad person, in life I will always change when I meet him,” said the shipwrecked man in view of past discussions about him.

Hes just a bad person says Nathaly Caldonazzo from Cecchi

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Nathalie CaldonazzoatIsland of the Famous, has received an unexpected visit from two other adventurers. The shipwrecked woman is now at Playa Sant’Elena as she lost televoting and Marco Mazzoli and Andrea Lo Cicero visited her during a certain mission. An opportunity for the showgirl to also talk about the rest of the group, especially about Alessandro Cecchi Paonewho called her a few days ago fishwoman.

What Nathaly thinks of Cecchi Paone

The spirit of the Isle of Celebrity has entrusted some castaways with a Cayuco and the mission to catch as many fish as possible. The first to board were Mazzoli and Lo Cicero, chosen by his partner because Paolo Noise was not well. Once at sea, the two competitors decided to row towards Playa Sant’Elena, where Nathaly is currently alone. When the showgirl saw them arrive, the showgirl hugged the well-known radio host, while with the other castaway there was only a cold greeting, given some past misunderstandings.

Listen, but… different arguments? Who is nominated?”Caldonazzo asked Mazzoli what happened in his absence. “Andrea, Christopher and Cristina are nominated,” he replied. “I hope he doesn’t come here,” continued the castaway, who didn’t want Lo Cicero to accompany Playa. But Lo Zoo di 105 spokesperson is convinced it’s going strong: “I think he wins”. The two then talked Alessandro Cecchi Paonewith whom Nathaly had several conversations and actually said: “When I meet him in life I will change myself always road because for me it is just a bad person”. Phrase that suggests between them is far from resolved.

He’s just a bad person, says Nathaly Caldonazzo from Cecchi Paone on the Isola dei Famosi Read More »

Im a celebrity Helen Flanagan has an emotional call to

I’m a celebrity: Helen Flanagan has an emotional call to her daughters

Emotional scenes played out during Friday’s episode of “I’m A Celebrity…South Africa” ​​when Helen Flanagan received a phone call inviting her to her children’s home.

The former Coronation Street actress, 32, is mother to Matilda, seven, Delilah, four, and Charlie, two, with her ex-fiancé Scott Sinclair.

Helen was nominated to speak to her offspring for 90 minutes, with ex-soap star Myleene Klass being preferred because Helen was at camp longer.

Myleene, mother of daughters Ava, 15, Hero, 12, and son Apollo, 3, broke down in tears at the news.

A delighted Helen went to a nearby clearing to make her call, and her mother, Julia, answered the phone and told her the girls had looked their best.

Delighted: Emotional scenes played out during Friday's episode of I'm A Celebrity... South Africa as Helen Flanagan, 32, was treated to a call home to her children

Delighted: Emotional scenes played out during Friday’s episode of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa as Helen Flanagan, 32, was treated to a call home to her children

Brutal: Helen was nominated to speak to her offspring for 90 minutes, with ex-soap star Myleene Klass being preferred because Helen was at camp longer

Brutal: Helen was nominated to speak to her offspring for 90 minutes, with ex-soap star Myleene Klass being preferred because Helen was at camp longer

Screen star Helen was seen shedding some tears while thinking about her children during Thursday’s episode.

She competed against former royal butler Paul Burrell during the show, in a task in which they attempted to win a luxurious picnic for their respective teams.

Helen got emotional before the task and her roommate Myleene offered her words of encouragement.

She told her: “It’s all in your head. everything is in your head nothing will hurt you

“Also, there’s one superpower you’ve got behind you — that’s your kids. No greater power.

“Every day they make us proud, but this time you will make them proud.”

Helen and Myleene hugged and the soap star later beat Paul at the challenge, winning a picnic for her team.

Elsewhere on Friday’s episode, Joe Swash complained he had the “worst outro ever” at EastEnders as the housemates opened up about their challenging experiences in the media industry.

Family: The actress is a mother to Matilda, seven, Delilah, four, and Charlie, two, with her ex-fiancé Scott Sinclair

Family: The actress is a mother to Matilda, seven, Delilah, four, and Charlie, two, with her ex-fiancé Scott Sinclair

Family affair: Myleene and fiancé Simon Motson share son Apollo, three, and she's mother to two daughters, Ava, 15, and Hero, 12 - who she shares with ex-husband Graham Quinn

Family affair: Myleene and fiancé Simon Motson share son Apollo, three, and she’s mother to two daughters, Ava, 15, and Hero, 12 – who she shares with ex-husband Graham Quinn

Participants discussed the BBC One soap opera, as both Joe and his colleague Dean Gaffney had both previously starred in it.

Singer and presenter Myleene also claimed her pop group Hear’Say once received a gift from Sir Elton John as an apology for calling them the “ugliest band in pop”.

During the latest episode of the reality show, Joe and Dean reflected on their time at EastEnders.

Dean, who played Robbie Jackson on the show, revealed he would return to the show even after returning five times.

The discussion led to Joe, who previously portrayed Mickey Miller on the show, admitting, “I wouldn’t mind[going back]you know. Just because of the family. Because you know what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, when you’re doing it.

‘They never asked me to go back in, not once, mate!’

When asked how things turned out for his character, the actor added, “[It was]the worst outro ever…I didn’t even go by the end of the episode.”

“You know you’re going and you get the ‘Duff Duff’? Mine, I went to Norwich to be a bellboy in a hotel and in the middle of the scene I just walked into The Vic, said ‘See you later’, turned back to Phil, came to me and I was gone.

‘What? That was it? No “dumb dumb”. I was there for five years and not a single “Duff Duff”!’

Emotional: Helen Flanagan broke down in tears thinking about her children during Thursday's I'm A Celebrity South Africa show

Emotional: Helen Flanagan broke down in tears thinking about her children during Thursday’s I’m A Celebrity South Africa show

Words of encouragement: Helen got emotional before the task and her roommate Myleene Klass spoke her words of encouragement

Words of encouragement: Helen got emotional before the task and her roommate Myleene Klass spoke her words of encouragement

Myleene also reflected on difficult moments in her career, including alleging that Sir Elton sent her pop group Hear’Say sympathy flowers after he made a rude remark about the band.

She said: “We were sent flowers by Elton John who said we were the ugliest band in pop.

“He realized, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.’ He sent us flowers of apology… I look back on that time, it was a different time in history.’

I’m a Celebrity… South Africa continues Monday at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

I’m a celebrity: Helen Flanagan has an emotional call to her daughters Read More »

Hotline Find out how Lindemberg Alves is doing 15 years

Hotline: Find out how Lindemberg Alves is doing, 15 years after the Eloá case

The Eloá Pimentel case was back in the spotlight after Linha Direta recalled the kidnapping and murder of the girl by Lindemberg Alves

05/05/2023 17:33, updated 05/05/2023 17:33

The Eloá Pimentel case was back in the spotlight after this Thursday’s Linha Direta (5/4) recalled the kidnapping and murder of the girl by Lindemberg Alves. He was sentenced to 39 years in prison for the death of Eloá and is now being held in Tremembé, São Paulo.

According to the G1 portal, Lindemberg maintains a routine of reading and working at the Tremembé penitentiary, known for hosting prisoners involved in serious cases, such as Alexandre Nardoni and Suzane von Ritchtofen.

1/7Eloá and Pedro Bial case on Linha Direta ▲According to journalist Patrícia Kogut, Linha Direta will return to Globo’s grid ▲Linha Direta portrayed unsolved crimes ▲Program has already been presented by Marcelo Resende ▲On social networks, the return of Linha Direta is already resonating ▲1234567

Lindemberg has been in prison since the time of the crime in 2008 and, in addition to training courses in the penal system, continues to work in the reading rooms. He also worked in workshops in Tremembé.

Lindemberg achieved the transition to a semiopen regime at the end of 2022. Now the prisoner defense team is trying the open regime.

Murder of Eloa

Eloá Pimentel was assassinated by Lindemberg in October 2008 in Santo André, São Paulo. The man broke into the apartment where the girl lived and held her, her friend Nayara Rodrigues and two other school friends hostage.

The young woman spent five days in a private prison while the other hostages were released. Eloá was shot twice and eventually died. Lindemberg was arrested redhanded.

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1683321677 The wealth of King Charles III opaque and tax free

The wealth of King Charles III, opaque and tax-free | The coronation of King Charles III. – Radio Canada.ca

But how high is the fortune of the new king? The answer is unclear.

There is no public record of the monarch’s possessions, which include castles, luxury cars, horses and an impressive collection of stamps. Over the years, several organizations and media outlets have attempted to assess the value of this wealth.

This is very difficult to assess as it depends on who you are talking to. An economist and a historian will give you two completely different numbers, says Thomas Morin-Cabana, president of the Crown Corporation of Canada.

“From a cultural and historical point of view, the royal family and the facilities are invaluable. »

— A quote from Thomas Morin Cabana, President of the Crown Corporation of Canada

Thomas Morin cabana in the studio.

According to Thomas Morin-Cabana, it is difficult to estimate the total fortune of King Charles III. appreciate. (file photo)

Photo: Radio Canada / Gabriel Le Marquand Perreault

The king’s private wealth is worth more than CAD$3 billion (£1.8 billion), according to a survey published last month in Britain’s The Guardian newspaper, based on estimates by a dozen experts.

According to Forbes magazine, Charles III. inherited most of the $560 million fortune owned by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. These include investments, jewellery, artwork and two castles – that of Balmoral in Scotland, where she died last September, and that of Sandringham.

Normally UK inheritance tax would have eaten up 40% of its value, but the Crown is exempt from this. This privileged deal with the royal family is causing dissatisfaction among the British population, which is still struggling with very high inflation.

The rules don’t apply to them. I can understand the logic behind this decision, but it’s hard to sell to people, especially in tough economic times, says Robert Hardman, an expert on the British monarchy and author of the book Queen of Our Times.

He also points out that the king’s personal fortune does not include a number of possessions he enjoyed during his reign – such as Buckingham Palace – which tend to fall into the domain of the crown.

The royal commentator, Robert Hardman.

Robert Hardman is a British monarchy scholar, author of The Queen of Our Times and columnist for the Chron and the BBC.

Photo: Chron

Where is Charles III among the richest in the world?

Although the wealth of the new king might seem disproportionate to mere mortals, Charles III. not included in Forbes magazine’s famous list of billionaires.

For comparison, the world’s richest man, French fashion magnate Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH Group, has a net worth of over CAD$319 billion.

In second place is Elon Musk — big boss of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter — with a net worth of $237 billion.

The CEO of the LVHM Group, Bernard Arnault.

Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of luxury brand group LVMH, is the world’s richest man, the first Frenchman to win the title. (file photo)

Photo: Portal/Christian Hartmann

If the Guardian’s calculation is to be believed, King Charles III. ranked 950th in the Forbes rankings, disregarding the value of the Crown estate and his family’s amassed wealth.

The royal family has a huge fortune, but still a lot less than many billionaires on the planet, starts Mr. Morin-Cabana.

How do we get 3 billion?

A team of Guardian journalists asked 12 specialists to investigate the assets of King Charles III. list and estimate their value. One of the major challenges, the daily points out, is distinguishing between what is considered the monarch’s private property and what actually belongs to the UK.

Its fleet of luxury cars — including Rolls-Royces, Jaguars and Bentleys — is said to be worth CA$10 million. The assessment takes into account that not all of the 23 vehicles identified at Buckingham Palace and Sandringham Castle belong to the King. Some are borrowed from the car manufacturers, others are owned by the Crown, ie the British people.

A parked Rolls Royce.

A Rolls Royce car parked in the Royal Stables in Buckingham Palace, London.

Photo: Getty Images/Dominic Lipinski/AFP

Queen Elizabeth II, a keen equestrian, had 70 racehorses, a $46 million stable, according to The Guardian. The king’s 400 works of art – including paintings by Monet, Chagall and Dalí – are said to be worth 41 million.

His famous stamp collection would be worth at least $169 million, while the jewelry inherited from his mother would be worth no less than $900 million.

The daily also lists $240 million in private investment and $558 million for Balmoral and Sandringham Castles.

The Duchy of Lancaster, a vast private estate held by British rulers since 1399, is the largest contributor to King Charles III’s fortune at an estimated $1.1 billion, according to The Guardian.

The estate covers 182 square kilometers and includes castles, historic buildings and even commercial properties in the Savoyard area of ​​London.

This is arguably the biggest gray area, says Hardman.

These are agricultural lands and estates that date back to medieval times. King Charles can’t sell it, but he’s making huge profits from the property that are difficult to measure, he says.

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For its part, Buckingham Palace described the assessment to the British daily newspaper as a very creative mixture of speculation, assumptions and inaccuracies, without giving its own figures.

He argues that the personal finances of members of the royal family should remain private, as they do for any other person.

How much is the crown estate worth?

The impressive Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the reigning monarch, and Kensington Palace, home to Prince William and his family, are not among the private possessions of King Charles III. The latter can therefore not sell them and does not generate any income from them.

Rather, these royal palaces are part of the Crown Estate, which basically functions like a corporation and is managed by an independent board of directors.

This council does not manage the king’s private belongings in any way, said his spokesman Ian Green in an emailed statement.

Police officers cross a street lined with British flags.

Buckingham Palace, the reigning monarch’s official residence, before the procession of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin, September 19, 2022. (File Photo)

Photo Credit: Getty Images/AFP/VICTORIA JONES

The Crown’s portfolio is valued at more than CA$28 billion (£16.5 billion), according to its latest annual report (New Window). Examples include beet farms in northern Scotland, mines on the Isle of Portland and Windsor Great Park south-west of London.

Any profits made flow back into the UK public coffers each year. The Crown Estate is a unique company with a unique legacy, says Green.

“We act independently and in accordance with our business interests to enhance portfolio value for the entire nation. »

— A quote from Ian Green, Communications and Campaigns Manager, Crown Estate

Over the past decade, the Crown Estate has brought in more than $5 billion (£3 billion) to UK taxpayers, he adds.

How much are Canadians paying for the monarchy?

The Monarchist League of Canada published an in-depth review of the costs associated with the crown in 2021. Canadian taxpayers would pay around $60 million annually.

This amount covers the expenses of the offices of the governor-general and lieutenant governors of the provinces, maintenance of the viceroy’s residences (Rideau Hall in Ottawa and the Citadelle in Quebec), travel and security during royal visits.

The poster near the fence surrounding the residence grounds.

Rideau Hall in Ottawa has served as the official residence of all governors general since the Confederacy. (file photo)

Photo: Radio Canada / Christian Patry

For the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the study reports total spending of $58.7 million, which equates to approximately $1.55 per person for the full year.

“That’s a drop in the bucket of budget. It’s about the price of a Tim Hortons coffee. »

– A quote from Karim Al-Dahdah, spokesman for the Monarchist League of Canada.

One of the most pervasive myths about the monarchy is that it costs taxpayers a lot of money, when the alternative, a republic, would cost us just as much, if not more, the spokesman for the Monarchist League of Canada adds. Karim Al-Dahdah.

Radio-Canada has contacted Her Majesty’s Privy Council Office for Canada to try and get a more up-to-date picture of the costs associated with the monarchy in the country. In an email response, a spokesman didn’t give specifics on how much taxpayers are shelling out.

“The Governor-General exercises the functions of Head of State in Canada. These functions would still be necessary even if Canada were not a constitutional monarchy. The same applies to the provinces. »

— A quote from Pierre-Alain Bujold, spokesman for the Privy Council Office

He clarified that Canada does not provide direct funds to the royal family and that all expenses related to the operation of the crown are incurred in the country.

The wealth of King Charles III, opaque and tax-free | The coronation of King Charles III. – Radio Canada.ca Read More »

March Against the Tram Activists Still Believe in Projects Abandonment

March Against the Tram: Activists Still Believe in Project’s Abandonment

Public and political figures who are set to protest the Quebec tramway project this Sunday continue to reiterate that even if the tenders are going well, it’s not too late to back down.

According to Donald Charette, spokesman for Québec Mérite Mieux, there is still time to ring the death knell of this project that is not finding the social acceptance of Quebecers.

“No, it’s not too late. People have to mobilize […] Only the rolling stock contract was awarded, and even worse, the penalty for terminating the contract is $5 million,” Mr Charette said, adding that this sum is minimal given the exorbitant cost of the project.

After claiming the illegality of the streetcar project that was rejected in court, Donald Charette continues his cabal.

“Bad Project”

“For us it’s always the same message from the beginning: we have to stop this bad project.”

The same speech for Stéphane Lachance of the group Tramway non merci, initiator of the “Respect March” that will start on Sunday at 1 p.m. from Quebec City Hall.

He even thinks the Legault government, unhappy with the Third Link project, may be tempted to back down on the streetcar.

“We need to send a message. It’s a way of demonstrating to the political class that there are people who disagree and that they need to be taken into account,” says the former candidate for the Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ).

Check the route

Former leader of Démocratie Québec Anne Guérette will be among those who will speak before the march. She always says she supports a Quebec structuring project, but claims elected municipal officials need to go back to the drawing board.

“The current project definitely needs to be reviewed. It’s full of bugs. In particular, we must review the route, analyzes Ms. Guérette, who quickly adds: And it’s not too late.

The one who says she speaks as a committed and non-partisan citizen says the “inflated cost” of the project should raise alarm.

“We could build a lot more roads with less money by serving citizens better,” she says.

PCQ Chair Éric Duhaime and Climat Québec Head Martine Ouellet will also be at the march, which aims not only to crack down on the construction of a tram but also to denounce the CAQ’s “broken” promises.

March Against the Tram: Activists Still Believe in Project’s Abandonment Read More »