Should Ukraine be part of NATO? Weapons that NATO had previously balked at providing Ukraine, for fear of “provoking” Russia, are now being supplied in abundance, if not in haste. The latest Ukrainian request to give NATO pause is for F-16 fighter jets, though France and Italy are already talking of going ahead with these. This makes the issue more urgent: Ukraine must be supplied with the weaponry it needs as quickly as possible. The reasons Ukraine must be defended – why it must not be defeated – have not changed.

OTTAWA - The Department of National Defence says Canada is working with the United States to protect sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats after a high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected. The U.S. says it is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a few days. The statement doesn’t mention China or state whether the surveillance balloon flew over Canadian airspace. The defence official said the U.S. has “engaged” Chinese officials through multiple channels and communicated the seriousness of the matter. The senior defence official said the U.S. did get fighter jets, including F-22s, ready to shoot down the balloon if ordered to by the White House.

In a post-Shaw merger world, “disruptive” new player Vidéotron will fight hard for Canadians’ wireless dollars, according to Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri. But that competition won’t hurt Rogers itself, also according to Staffieri. Rogers added a total of 193,000 wireless subscribers on contracts and the mobile division recorded revenue of $2.58 billion, exceeding analysts’ projections of $2.5 billion. In the year ahead, Rogers expects revenue growth of between four and seven per cent and adjusted earnings growth before deductions of between five and eight per cent. It expects to spend between $3.1 billion and $3.3 billion on capital expenditures, compared with $3.03 billion last year.

The death of a longtime CBC journalist who was shoved to the ground in Toronto’s Greektown neighbourhood last week has now been classified as a homicide and police have issued an arrest warrant for a suspect in the case. “Both parties aren’t believed to be known to each other and it does appear to be a happen chance meeting,” Hillier said. Speaking with reporters outside 55 Division headquarters, Hillier credited the community’s assistance in helping police identify a suspect so quickly. It's been key in leading the investigators in finding Mr. Cropearedwolf and believing him to be responsible for this assault,” he said. Tributes continue to pour inFinlay was a former producer and editor who spent 31 years with the CBC prior to his retirement in 2010.

Toronto Star's top-rated true crime podcast launches Season 2TORONTO, Feb. 3, 2023 /CNW/ - After being ranked the #1 podcast in Canada in 2022 for many weeks, the Toronto Star's true crime podcast series returns for a second season with an in-depth look at the high-profile murders of billionaires Honey and Barry Sherman. Donovan has covered the Sherman case from day one. We are excited about this second season of our true crime podcast series, which builds on our growing strength in the podcast field." It has also been making a difference in the lives of children for more than 100 years through the Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund and the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund. SOURCE Toronto StarFor further information: Bob Hepburn, Director, Communications, Toronto Star, [email protected], (cell) 416-578-5629

AP Photo/Jeff SwingerConsistent Kingsbury captures silver at the moguls mecca in Deer ValleyMikaël Kingsbury continues to be consistent when he’s competing in Deer Valley, Utah. On Thursday night, he claimed silver in moguls at the latest stop of the FIS Freestyle World Cup circuit. The overall leader in the moguls World Cup standings, Kingsbury ranked second in the qualification round and in the first round of the final. The silver was Kingsbury’s 19th career World Cup medal in Deer Valley. He hasn’t missed a podium in Deer Valley in any event since he was fifth in a dual moguls World Cup in February 2016.

And its vehicle is articulate, meaningful, committed debate about books that bear on issues of the day: critical thinking. The broadcasts, emanating from Toronto, can be followed on CBC Radio, with a live stream on CBC Gem, CBC Listen, and CBCBooks.ca. ‘Canada Reads’ 2023 SelectionsHere are the five books named for this year’s competition. The links included here are to Canada Reads‘ material about each entry. More on ‘Canada Reads is here, and more on the Canadian publishing market is here.

Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah won’t stand around and let anyone question his work ethic. You are an outsider you don’t know me or my work ethic,” Manoah said. “Don’t let someone throw a video out of context at you and get you upset,” Recker tweeted in response to Manoah. Come meet me.”It’s not the first time Manoah has taken to Twitter to take a stand against hurtful remarks. “Just step aside from the keyboard and let KIRK inspire those kids to continue to chase their dreams and chase greatness.”Like Manoah, Kirk was also an MLB all-star last season.

He’ll be playing the All-Star Game and also participating in the Pitch ‘n Puck event during the skills competition. Jason Robertson will participate in the Pitch ‘n Puck event of the NHL Skills Competition tomorrow. All-Star GameThe All-Star Game once again will feature a four-team 3-on-3 tournament, with the winners of each semifinal battling for a $1 million prize in the championship. The schedule:-Central vs. Pacific, 2 p.m.-Metropolitan vs. Atlantic, 3 p.m.-Winners meet in championship, 4 p.m.More on Jason Robertson— 10 things to know about Jason Robertson, including a growing list of broken Stars records— Jason Robertson hasn’t forgotten his roots while forging his own NHL path— Mike Modano wrote the Stars record books. — ‘A lot of practice’: How Stars’ Jason Robertson got so skilled at scoring in tight spacesFind more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

OTTAWA—Candice Bergen, the Conservative party’s former interim leader, is stepping down as a member of Parliament. Bergen said she leaves the job feeling hopeful and re-energized about her own future and that of the Conservative party. When the Tories lost the 2015 election, she moved into the party’s senior management ranks, becoming House leader under both interim leader Rona Ambrose and the party’s next leader, Andrew Scheer. When O’Toole replaced Scheer, he appointed Bergen as deputy party leader. After she became interim leader, and as the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protest dragged on, Bergen eventually said publicly she thought it was time for trucker blockades to end.

These amendments are intended to enhance protections for migrant workers and ensure the integrity of the government’s temporary foreign worker program. While a step in the right direction, the changes side-step the root issues that make temporary foreign workers vulnerable to abuse in the first place. More than 61,000 migrant workers were employed in Canada’s agriculture sector in 2021, an increase of almost 12 per cent from 2020, marking the greatest proliferation since 2016. In fact, migrant workers comprised nearly one-quarter of all agricultural workers in 2021. Injured and sick workers are often repatriated before they can access health care and/or workers’ compensation.

(Photography by George Pimentel)The inaugural Maclean’s Ideas Summit, inspired by the magazine’s recent Year Ahead issue, featured leading thinkers discussing the future of Canada in 2023. The summit kicked off on January 24 with a virtual webinar and live Q&A with Dr. David Suzuki, a world-renowned author and activist. The second day of the summit was held on January 26, with networking, drinks and a fireside chat with Dr. Andrew Boozary from the University Health Network. Everyone was invited back for the final event of the summit: a Mini Talk series held at OCAD University on January 30. Sarah Fulford, the editor-in-chief of Maclean’s, kicked off the panel with an opening speech discussing the profound impact Maclean’s has had on the Canadian conversation.

Lac La Biche County went national on Wednesday night, aired across Canada on CBC TV's Still Standing series. Filming for the show took place last summer, with production crews and Harris in the community for a week. Brenda Robitaille spoke about the significance of the area's fisheries, taking Harris and viewers on a history of the commercial fishery, mink ranches and Lac La Biche caviar. He knows the show will help bring more attention to the community, and his segment is good for local archery and the sport in general. The tipis — part of a tourism partnership between local Indigenous groups and Alberta Parks — provided a stunning backdrop with the Lac La Biche shoreline as she and Harris discussed the area's indigenous foundations and the future.

Farming for Love, CTV’s rural romance series, is searching for single farmers, growers, producers, vintners and ranchers in British Columbia and Ontario who are ready to find a life partner! If you’re a single farmer ready to open your heart and farm to singles across Canada, APPLY TODAY! Based on the international hit format The Farmer Wants a Wife, Farming for Love sees farmers invite daters to live and work alongside them, immersing themselves in a series of farm chores, group activities, and intimate one-on-one dates with the ultimate goal of finding their life partners. Ontario Farmers — APPLY HEREB.C. Farmers — APPLY HERENominate A Farmer — HERE

The singer led nominations for the 52nd annual Juno Awards, with six nods. Pop-punk singer Avril Lavigne and pop artist Tate McRae are also front-runners — each has five nominations. Lavigne and The Weeknd will vie for artist of the year along with Lauren Spencer-Smith, Michael Buble and Shawn Mendes. Four-time Juno winner Jessie Reyez, first-time Juno nominee Aysanabee and rock group Alexisonfire will all take the stage. The Juno Awards will be broadcast from Rogers Place in Edmonton on CBC, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Music’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages.