U.S. will allow #Ukraine to use antipersonnel land mines against Russian forces. #Austin pointed out that Ukraine already makes its own antipersonnel mines, and that the U.S. has been providing Ukraine with anti-tank mines. He also tried to allay concerns about the new mines the U.S. is giving Kyiv, saying they are not persistent, meaning troops can control when they would self-detonate.

“That makes it far more safer eventually than the things that they are creating on their own,” Austin said.

The mines are are electrically fused and powered by batteries so that when the battery runs out, they won’t detonate. They can become inert in anywhere from four hours to two weeks.

#Russia already uses land mines in Ukraine, but those don’t become inert over time.

The United States also sought commitments from the Ukrainians on the use of the mines to limit harm to innocent civilians, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Ukraine would use the mines in its own country and would not put them in civilian populated areas.

The mines are contained in a US$275 million package of new military assistance from the Biden administration, according to a different U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package hasn't been formerly announced. Also included in the package are High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, as well as 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds, Javelin anti-armor munitions, and other equipment and spare parts.

The war has taken on a growing international dimension with the arrival of North Korean troops to help Russia on the battlefield — a development that U.S. officials said prompted Biden’s policy shift on allowing Ukraine to fire longer-range U.S. missiles into Russia and that angered the Kremlin.

Britain had been quietly pressing the U.S. to ease restrictions on how Western-supplied missiles are used, and unconfirmed news reports Wednesday said Ukraine had fired British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles at Russia for the first time. British and Ukrainian officials didn't confirm the reports.

#Creator of 'suicide capsule' rejects #Swiss allegation that its first user may have been strangled.

The right-to-die activist behind a new “suicide capsule” says he rejects “absurd” allegations that the U.S. #woman who was said to be its first user may have actually been strangled.

Philip Nitschke of advocacy group Exit International said Wednesday he wasn't on hand for the woman's death on Sept. 23 involving the “Sarco” capsule in a forest in northern Switzerland, but saw it live by video transmission.

The device worked as planned, he said, in the first and only time it has been used.

The head of a Swiss affiliate of Exit International known as The Last Resort, Florian Willet, was present at the woman's death and was immediately taken into police custody, where he remains.

Several other people who were initially taken into custody — including a journalist for Volkskrant newspaper in the Netherlands, where Nitschke lives — were later released.

The Australian-born Nitschke broke weeks of silence through an interview with respected Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung, which was published Wednesday.

Speaking to The Associated Press by phone, he said he felt compelled to speak out because Exit International was “desperate” about the plight of Willet, who could remain behind bars for weeks or months until a possible trial.

The “Sarco,” which Nitschke has said cost US$1 million to develop and build, was designed to allow a person sitting in its reclining seat to push a button that injects nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber. The person is then supposed to fall unconscious and die by suffocation in a few minutes.

The 64-year-old woman was not identified. Nitschke, a trained medical doctor, said she had “compromised immune function” that made her “subject to chronic infection.”

On Oct. 26, Volkskrant reported the Swiss prosecutor had indicated in court that the woman may have been strangled.

“It is absurd because we’ve got film that the capsule wasn’t opened. She got in herself, pressed the button herself — and Florian rang the police” after she died, Nitschke said.

#Russian lawmakers endorse bill to ban adoptions by countries that allow gender transition.

#MOSCOW, Russia -Russia’s upper house of parliament on Wednesday endorsed a bill banning adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where gender transitioning is legal.

The Federation Council also approved bills that outlaw the spread of material that encourages people not to have children.

The bills, which have previously been approved by the lower house, will now go to President Vladimir Putin for signing into law. They follow a series of laws that have suppressed sexual minorities and bolstered longstanding conventional values.

The lower house speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin, who was among the new bill's authors, has noted that “it is extremely important to eliminate possible dangers in the form of gender reassignment that adopted children may face in these countries.”

The adoption ban would apply to at least 15 countries, most of them in Europe but including Australia, Argentina and Canada. Adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens was banned in 2012.

Other bills approved by lawmakers on Wednesday outlaw what is described as propaganda for remaining child-free and impose fines of up to five million rubles (about US$50,000). Its proponents contended that public arguments against having children are part of purported Western efforts to weaken Russia by encouraging population decline.

Putin and other top officials in recent years have increasingly called for observing so-called traditional values as a counter to Western liberalism. As Russia’s population declines, Putin has made statements advocating large families and last year urged women to have as many as eight children.

Russia last year banned gender-transition medical procedures and its Supreme Court declared the #LGBTQ2S+ “movement” to be extremist.

In 2022, #Putin signed a law prohibiting the distribution of LGBTQ2S+ information to people of all ages, expanding a ban issued in 2013 on disseminating the material to minors.

Since he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin leader has repeatedly characterized the West as “satanic” and accused it of trying to undermine Russia by exporting liberal ideologies.

'Bomb cyclone' kills 2 and knocks out power to over half a million homes across the northwest U.S.

-A major storm swept across the northwest U.S., battering the region with strong winds and rain, causing widespread power outages and downing trees that killed at least two people.

The Weather Prediction Center issued excessive rainfall risks through Friday and hurricane-force wind warnings were in effect as the strongest atmospheric river — a large plume of moisture — that California and the Pacific Northwest has seen this season overwhelmed the region. The storm system that hit starting Tuesday is considered a “ bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly.

#Ford says there is 'clear consensus' among premiers for separate trade deal with Mexico.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says there is “clear consensus” among premiers for separate bilateral trade deals with the U.S. and Mexico, following a phone call with all the leaders on Wednesday.

“Most important thing with all the premiers, we put all political stripes aside. We're speaking as Team #Canada, and we feel the same way,” Ford said, who is also the chair of Canada’s Premiers.

Ford first floated the idea to oust Mexico last week in the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election to the White House earlier this month. Trump has vowed to reopen the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, which is due for a review in 2026.

Ford argues Mexico has become a back door for China to circumvent tariffs from the U.S. and Canada.

“We know Mexico is bringing in cheap Chinese parts, slapping ‘made in Mexico’ stickers on, shipping it up through the U.S. and Canada, causing American jobs to be lost, and Canadian jobs. We want fair trade,” Ford said.

The premier also said he will be asking for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the issue to “make sure we’re all on side,” but says he already spoke to Trudeau, calling him “very supportive.”

This week at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Trudeau met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and said he raised “concerns that have been expressed publicly by a number of people around some of the investments in Mexico.”

“I think the Mexican administration is looking at ways of either adjusting or sharing why people shouldn't be worried about these investments,” Trudeau said Tuesday at the conclusion of the summit.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is leading the revived cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations, said on Tuesday she has also heard “grave concerns” about Mexico from members of both the Biden administration and Trump team.

#Giraffes are up next on the endangered species list, US wildlife officials say.
The tallest animal in the world is in trouble.

Giraffe populations are declining at such an alarming rate — from habitat loss, poaching, urbanization and climate change-fueled drought — that U.S. wildlife officials announced a proposal on Wednesday to help protect several of the species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing many giraffe species as either endangered or threatened. It’s the first time the long-necked mammals, native to Africa, would receive federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.

Declaring a species “endangered” is the most severe level of threat under the law, indicating the species is at immediate risk of extinction. Meanwhile, a species is labelled “threatened” when it is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.

“Federal protections for giraffes will help protect a vulnerable species, foster biodiversity, support ecosystem health, combat wildlife trafficking, and promote sustainable economic practices,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said in a statement. “This action supports giraffe conservation while ensuring the United States does not contribute further to their decline.”

The three subspecies of northern giraffe officials are proposing to be listed as endangered include the West African, Kordofan and Nubian giraffes, whose populations have plummeted by roughly 77 per cent since 1985, from 25,653 to 5,919 individuals.

And in East Africa, the agency is proposing to list two subspecies — the reticulated and Masai giraffes — as threatened.

Fed-up locals armed with posters, which read "No busses in Bo Kaap' [sic] and "implement Bo-Kaap traffic plan, no tour busses in Bo-Kaap", gathered outside the Iziko Museum to air their complaints.#SouthAfrica.

#Ukraine now has long-range missiles and Russia rewrote its nuclear policy. Are we on the verge of atomic warfare?.
The four-year-old document has a bland, bureaucratic title — “Basic Principles of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence” — but its contents are chilling, especially with its newest revisions.

Better known as Russia's nuclear doctrine, the revamped version that was signed Tuesday by President Vladimir Putin spells out the circumstances that allow him to use Moscow's atomic arsenal, the world's largest.

This new version lowers the bar, giving him that option in response to even a conventional attack backed by a nuclear power. That possibly could include the use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles by Ukraine to hit Russian territory — which Moscow says happened Tuesday when six missiles hit the Bryansk region.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that such strikes could potentially be a trigger for a nuclear response under the revised document.
What is Russia’s nuclear doctrine?

Its first iteration was signed by Putin in 2020, and he approved the latest version Tuesday, according to the Kremlin. It outlines when Russia could dip into its atomic arsenal.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Putin and other Kremlin voices have frequently threatened the West with its nuclear arsenal. But that hasn't deterred Kyiv's allies from giving it billions of dollars of advanced weapons, some of which have hit Russian soil.

The revamped document describes nuclear weapons as “a means of deterrence,” noting their use is an “extreme and compelled measure.” It declares that Russia “takes all necessary efforts to reduce the nuclear threat and prevent aggravation of interstate relations that could trigger military conflicts, including nuclear ones.”

Such nuclear deterrence is aimed at safeguarding the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state,” deterring a potential aggressor, or, “in case of a military conflict, preventing an escalation of hostilities and stopping them on conditions acceptable for the Russian Federation,” the document says.

“Nuclear deterrence is aimed to ensure that any potential adversary realizes the inevitability of retribution in case of an aggression against Russia and its allies,” it says.

While formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment of nuclear use and keep the West guessing at Moscow’s response, the modernized version spells out conditions under which Putin could use a nuclear option in response to a conventional strike.

Changes in the doctrine have been in the works for months, and it's no coincidence that Tuesday's announcement of a new version follows by two days Washington's decision to allow Ukraine to use such longer-range missiles to hit targets in Russia. For months, U.S. President Joe Biden has been weighing the risks of such an escalation.
What triggers a Russian nuclear response?

The doctrine says Moscow could use nuclear weapons “in response to the use of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction" against Russia or its allies, as well as “in the event of aggression” against Russia and Belarus with conventional weapons that threaten "their sovereignty and/or territorial integrity."

Any aggression against Russia by a nonnuclear power with the “participation or support of a nuclear power” will be seen as their “joint attack" on Russia, the document says.

It adds that nuclear weapons could be used in these scenarios:

If reliable information is received about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting the territory of Russia or its allies.
If nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction strike the territory of Russia or its allies, or are used to hit Russian military units or facilities abroad.
If an enemy's impact on critically important Russian government or military facilities could undermine retaliatory nuclear-strike capability.
If aggression against Russia or Belarus involving conventional weapons raises a critical threat to their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
If reliable information is received about the takeoff or launch of strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic or other flying vehicles and their crossing the Russian border.
The president can inform military and political leaders of other countries or international organizations "about the readiness to use nuclear weapons," or that he has already decided to use them.

Is the use of nuclear weapons imminent?

Even before signing the revamped doctrine, Putin warned the U.S. and its NATO allies against allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with Western-supplied longer-range missiles, saying it would put Russia and NATO at war.

Asked Tuesday if such a Ukrainian attack could potentially trigger a nuclear response, Peskov answered affirmatively. He pointed to the doctrine's provision that opens the door after a conventional strike that raises critical threats for Russia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Peskov also emphasized the doctrine's new section that describes an attack by any country supported by a nuclear power as their joint aggression against Russia.

Tatiana Stanovaya of the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center noted that Peskov's comment marked the first time the Kremlin explicitly acknowledged “the potential use of nuclear weapons as a response to strikes on Russian territory using long-range missiles.”

“Put simply, Peskov openly admits that the Kremlin is currently considering the possibility of a nuclear strike,” she said.

While the doctrine envisions a possible nuclear response by Russia, it is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons and keep Putin’s options open.

The U.S. has seen no change to Russia’s nuclear posture, according to a U.S. National Security Council official who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity. As a result, the Biden administration has “not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture or doctrine in response to Russia’s statements today,” the official added.

Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute defense and security think tank in the U.K., said the use of Western longer-range missiles “certainly will not” trigger Moscow's nuclear response as some in the West feared.

#Russia may retaliate with nuclear weapons if Kiev uses Western-made missiles — Kremlin
Dmitry Peskov highlighted the nuclear doctrine’s provisions that "aggression against the Russian Federation by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state is viewed as their joint attack"

Border #USA and #Canada:

“It will allow the #CBSA to use its resources more efficiently by deploying officers at busier ports of entry,” the agency wrote in a news release.

“Almost all of these ports of entry are processing an average of two or less cars or commercial trucks per hour during the hours that will no longer be in operation, and travellers have an alternative border crossing option within a 100 km radius.”
Updated crossing times

All times are local. All hours will be in place for seven days a week, unless otherwise indicated.


Alberta

Del Bonita: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.


British Columbia

Cascade: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Nelway: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.


Manitoba

Cartwright: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Coulter: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for travellers. Commercial crossing hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except weekends and holidays
Crystal City: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Goodlands: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Gretna: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Lena: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for travellers. Commercial crossing hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except weekends and holidays
Piney: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Snowflake: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
South Junction: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tolstoi: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Windygates: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Winkle: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.


Quebec

Chartierville: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Clarenceville: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Frelighsburg: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Herdman: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hereford Road: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Highwater: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Lacolle Route 221: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Lacolle Route 223: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Noyan: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Trout River: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.


New Brunswick

Bloomfield: For travellers: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday (except Canadian and U.S. holidays); for commercial: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday (except Canadian and U.S. holidays)
Gillespie Portage: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Fosterville: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the last Monday of May to first Monday of September; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the remainder of the year.
St. Croix: For travellers: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Commercial crossing hours are, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except weekends.


Saskatchewan

Carievale: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., second Sunday of March to first Saturday of November; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the remainder of the year.
Estevan Highway: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., second Sunday of March to first Saturday of November; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the remainder of the year.
Monchy: For travellers: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, from the second Sunday of March to first Saturday of November; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the remainder of the year. Commercial hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, from the second Sunday of March to first Saturday of November, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the remainder of the year
Northgate: For travellers: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., from the second Sunday of March to first Saturday of November; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., for the remainder of the year. Commercial crossing hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, from the second Sunday of March to first Saturday of November; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the remainder of the year
Oungre: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., second Sunday of March to first Saturday of November; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the remainder of the year
West Poplar River: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., from the second Sunday of March to first Saturday of November; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the remainder of the year. Commercial crossing hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, from the second Sunday of March to first Saturday of November; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the remainder of the year.