Making Sense of John Ratcliffe’s Trip to Moscow

A CIA director has traveled to Moscow before. Almost five years ago, Bill Burns went to Moscow to inform the Kremlin that the United States knew of its plan to attack Ukraine. Burns’s effort to deter the invasion failed.  The memory of Burns’s November 2021 trip explains the consternation over Ratcliffe’s visit. Tensions between the…

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Is Portugal a good snowbird destination for Canadians who don’t want to go to the U.S.? We spent 2 weeks test driving it. Here’s our honest verdict, including what surprised us

Whenever I travel, people often ask me about Canada’s weather. I often reply, “We have six months of cold weather — and six months of winter.” That’s met with lots of laughter, and yes, it’s a bit of an exaggeration. But the fact remains that Canadian winters can be brutally long. That’s why, as semi-retired…

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U.S. bombs Iranian wedding; Netanyahu visits Gaza, vows no withdrawal; UN admits global warming will exceed 1.5 C

An aerial view shows people surveying damage to buildings in the aftermath of a U.S. strike on a wedding party, on September 2, 2026 in Sirik in the Hormozgan Province of Iran. Photo by Morteza Akhondi/Getty Images. Wednesday, September 2, 2026 – U.S. launches strikes on southern Iran, killing 18. Iran launches retaliatory attacks. IRGC says…

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NTA To Allow Pets On Buses, Luas And DART

Pet owners could soon be able to bring their dogs, cats and other small animals with them on public transport. New proposals from the National Transport Authority (NTA) would allow small pets to travel on buses, trains and the Luas, provided they do not threaten the safety of passengers. Animals would have to remain on…

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China Chengxin Group Expands Business in Hong Kong to Help Enterprises Go Global

China Chengxin Green Finance expands Hong Kong business for go-global enterprises with enhanced ESG fintech services Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced that China Chengxin Group, one of the Chinese Mainland’s longest-established and largest credit rating agencies, is expanding its business in Hong Kong. Under this expansion, its green finance and environmental, social and governance (ESG)…

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