Latest news with #Pen
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 316 video: Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison final faceoff
NEWARK, N.J. – Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison had a final faceoff for their women's bantamweight title fight at UFC 316 ceremonial weigh-ins. After a build filled with plenty of animosity, Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) are now just one sleep from sharing the octagon for the title on Saturday at Prudential Center (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). After becoming champion for a second time in October, Peña will attempt to register a UFC title defense for the first time in her career. She enters as a sizeable underdog against two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion Harrison, however, who looks to add to her decorated combat sports legacy with a UFC belt. Check out the video above to see the final UFC 316 ceremonial weigh-in faceoff between Peña and Harrison.
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Kindle Scribe drops to £279.99 in rare Amazon deal
The Kindle Scribe combines distraction-free reading with powerful digital writing tools | Amazon This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Amazon has slashed £100 off the Kindle Scribe – its powerful digital notebook with Premium Pen, now down to just £279.99 for a limited time. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... If you're thinking of upgrading your holiday reading setup, now's the time – because the Kindle Scribe has just dropped to £279.99 on Amazon, matching its best-ever price and saving you £100 off the usual £379.99. This isn't the first time the Scribe has been reduced to this level, but these deals rarely stick around – they tend to last just a few days at a time. And with summer travel on the horizon, it's the ideal moment to snap one up if you want to streamline your reading, note-taking, and document-marking while on the move. Unlike any other Kindle, the Scribe doubles as a digital notebook, letting you scribble thoughts directly onto the page, annotate documents, sketch diagrams, or create full journals. The Premium Pen is included, and never needs charging – so it's always ready when inspiration hits. Its 10.2-inch 300 ppi Paperwhite display is the largest on any Kindle, offering a natural paper-like feel with adjustable warm lighting and glare-free clarity. It's perfect for both reading and writing – and the AI-powered summarisation feature adds a clever touch, especially if you're using it for meetings or study notes. You can also mark up PDFs, review documents, and convert handwritten notes into text with ease – making this an exceptional tool for both work and leisure. And thanks to USB-C charging and Amazon's usual long-lasting battery, you'll get months of reading and weeks of writing between charges. This version includes 32GB storage and comes with the Premium Pen, so it's ideal for those who plan to use the full writing functionality. Now's your chance to upgrade before this limited-time offer disappears. If you're considering alternatives, the reMarkable 2 offers a sleek, minimalist e-ink writing experience that's more notebook than reader. You can explore it here. 🔥 Free Samsung tablet? Don't miss this Sky Mobile Galaxy S25 deal
The Star
13-05-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Cashing in on durian tourism
PENANG's durian season has begun and the race is on to savour the best fruits. Harvests are expected to be less bountiful this year because of unfavourable weather conditions, so fans of the 'King of Fruits' may have a shorter window to indulge in their love of durian. Whether it is the premium Musang King or Black Thorn, crowd-pleasers like Red Prawn, Hor Lor, Khoon Poh, XO and D24 or emerging cultivars like Tupai King, they are bound to be snapped up quickly. Though the main durian season runs from May to August, the fruits actually start growing between February and April when dry and hot spells kick-start flowering on trees. Once pollinated by insects, these develop into fruits. However, heavy rain and strong winds last month curtailed that. The Black Thornand Musang Kingare among the most prized and highly sought-after cultivars. — Filepic In orchards across the island and mainland, many flowers fell before they could be pollinated. Even some that made it to fruit were stunted or affected by mould from damp conditions. As a result, growers fear harvests could be up to 30% less than last year, making it one of the smallest in recent times. Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the peak period should come in June and July. Another anticipated rainy spell in August is likely to bring the season to a premature end. 'I urge all durian lovers to seize the opportunity to enjoy the thorny treat while it is still plentiful and affordably priced. 'The early bird will get the best durian,' he said at the launch of Penang Durian 2025, the state's official durian promotion and travel deals programme, at Sia Boey Urban Archaeological Park in George Town. 8321 Durian Plantation owner Eric Yeap said the first fruits usually fall in late April, but this year, they only started dropping in early May. Goh says during durian season, hotel occupancy rates can rise by 4% or 5%. 'The rains came at the most inopportune moment. 'As many farms also cater to export markets, the supply shortage could drive prices up slightly. 'But it shouldn't be overly expensive,' he added. Bahang Terrace durian farm owner Lee Jang Giap said one way for locals to enjoy better value for money was to indulge at plantations. With no middlemen and their extra margins involved, costs should be lower. As such, this business-to-customer or B2C model is becoming increasingly popular. 'After taking over the farm last year, we had lots of requests from people who wanted to eat durian on-site. 'So we said, why not do it and give durian lovers a more authentic experience?' Lee, whose background is in data analytics, implemented a technological approach to operations, using data to track and monitor supply and demand of every single variety in their farm. Lee says one way for locals to enjoy better value is to indulge at durian plantations. 'Prices are most affordable about six weeks after the first drop, which would be mid-June,' he added. Straight to source Penang Durian 2025 offers 36 exclusive deals, including many all-you-can-eat durian buffets by hotels in collaboration with orchards. While the pungent fruit has been banned in hotel premises, these establishments have now realised its tourism value and found a compromise. Many have set up al fresco stalls at outdoor carparks or gardens so guests can tuck in without causing a stink. Others provide direct transport to partner orchards for a more authentic experience. Durian drop naturally when they ripen, usually in the pre-dawn hours. The fruits are then collected and laid out for visitors by noon. One can hardly find anything fresher. These prickly deals range in price from RM60 to RM100 per person but individual entitlements vary. Some come alongside discounted room rates. Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang chapter chairman Datuk Tony Goh said such packages had been well-received in recent years and boosted hotel occupancy rates. Durian drop naturally when they ripen, usually in pre-dawn hours. Farms typically have nets to catch the falling fruit to prevent damage. — Filepic 'It's a great value-added option especially for tourists from Singapore and China, many of whom come purely to eat durian,' he said, adding that prices in Malaysia are a fraction of what they would have to pay back home. 'For bigger groups consuming a lot, the savings essentially make up for the cost of flights and rooms. 'They get to enjoy a holiday and sightsee on top of enjoying the best durian. 'During the season, hotel occupancy rates could rise by 4% or 5%,' Goh said. Yeap said farms had received more enquiries and bookings this year, due in part to the recent implementation of visa-free travel from China. 'It's just a short hop to savour the best fruits. Unlimited durian packages allow them to eat to their heart's content. 'But most will surrender after trying five or six fruits,' he said. According to Wong, while most of the famous durian orchards, farms and estates in Penang are located in Balik Pulau and Teluk Bahang on the island, high-quality fruits also come from Juru, Junjung, Sungai Bakap and Bukit Mertajam on the mainland. Durian connoisseurs can tell the quality and sometimes even the variety of a durian through smell alone. Unlike the more industrialised, large-scale durian operations in other states or neighbouring countries, the majority of farms in Penang are small to medium-scale holdings – some owned by the same family for generations. Older trees are said to yield better-tasting fruits. And owners also have the opportunity to create unique products to fill market niches. Lee said this included homestay experiences. A chalet that's being renovated at his farm is set to open by June. 'Durian connoisseurs don't only want to eat the fruit. 'They also want a unique experience staying at a farm and learning about the growing process,' he added. AirAsia northern region director Kenneth Tan believes there is also potential in the state's kampung durian, which are a hidden gem. 'Instead of just selling the fruits, small-scale growers in villages could incorporate homestay elements to showcase the local culture and rustic way of life. 'This is something you can rarely find outside of Penang and adds to the travel experience for foreign tourists,' he said. Beyond Musang King There are over 200 durian varieties registered with the Agriculture Department, and new ones pop up each year. Each has a distinct combination of taste, texture, colour, aroma and appearance. Much like fine wine, cheese or chocolate, such complexities and nuances are what wins the fruit so many fans. Tan (in red) flanked by Rodriguez (to his right) and Pallado, sampling durian from Yeap's (left) plantation during the launch of the programme at Sia Boey Urban Archaeological Park. It can be a never-ending adventure to discover and sample new types. Durian lovers differ in their preferences as well. Some prefer sweeter varieties while others insist on some bitter notes. Some like it light like custard while others consider a thicker mouthfeel a more satisfying experience. This is why Musang King – first commercially planted in Pahang in the 1980s, named after its origin in Gua Musang, Kelantan, and assigned the identifier D197 – catapulted to international consciousness. Its bittersweet flavour and luscious texture are universally appealing. Its Chinese name Mao Shan Wang or 'Cat Mountain King' is also good branding. Today, it is the most prized variety in China and can retail for up to 258 yuan (approximately RM149) per kg. This has contributed to a misconception that Musang King is the only durian there is. Luckily, the varied offerings at durian buffets are slowly changing mindsets. Audi Farm owner Sam Lim said many foreigners were surprised to learn that there are many different types of durian in Penang. And most can hold their own against the market leader. (From right) Wong with the latest edition of the 'Penang King of Fruits Durian Guide' alongside Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Wong Yuee Harng and Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng during the Penang Durian 2025 launch. 'We're doing our part to educate them. More often, when guests try various types, they quickly realise the taste is just as good,' he shared. Echoing those sentiments, Lee said this was why his farm decided to concentrate on native Penang cultivars such as Red Prawn and Hor Lor. He also intends to plant the Black Thorn and Tupai King hybrids, which in recent years had emerged as worthy challengers for the title of 'King of the King of Fruits'. 'We believe in celebrating local Penang durian and letting fans experience and appreciate all the varieties and their unique qualities,' he explained. Yeap said Tupai King was now one of the most expensive varieties because of its bittersweet taste, soft creamy texture and fragrance – the perfect trifecta of desirable qualities. With very few farms having mature Tupai King trees, supply remains low, contributing to eye-watering prices of up to RM150 per kg. Broadening thorny horizons To enhance the experience for durian-seeking visitors, the state has unveiled the latest edition of its Penang King of Fruits Durian Guide. Produced in collaboration with Penang Fruit Growers Association, the guide will be available at Penang International Airport and tourist attractions. There are rich visuals and descriptions of the many varieties, helping the uninitiated identify their desired types and know what flavours to expect when out on durian hunts. Besides the aforementioned varieties, others featured are Lipan Bara, Dato Nina, Gold Fish, Yi Dian Hong, Lin Feng Jiao, Green Skin, D600, Kunyit, Tekka, Susu, Capri, D11, Lipan, Bak Eu, Ang Bak Kia, Ice Cream, Muntri and Little Red. The guide also highlights some authentic dishes that go well with durian such as sticky rice, pengat and even chicken soup. It also suggests ways the fruit can be incorporated into everything from cakes and pastries to ice cream, fritters, pudding and pizza. Equally useful are the lists of popular durian farms and stalls around Penang with contact numbers and operating hours – handy for those embarking on their own thorny adventure. Spanish tourists Diana Rodriguez and Carla Pallado, who chanced upon the Penang Durian 2025 launch, tried several varieties and quickly discovered their subtle differences. 'It is my first time having durian. The first one I had was sweet and creamy but had a subtle smell. It reminded me of mango. 'The second one was much more pungent but lacked a punch, taste-wise. 'The differences are interesting,' shared Rodriguez, a rugby player. Said tennis coach Pallado: 'We heard about durian's reputation but didn't realise it was actually quite good.' Expanding markets Wong said Penang was looking to expand its durian tourism promotion to new markets such as India, Australia, Europe and the Middle East. 'We have long promoted durian within Asean, China and Hong Kong. 'With the recent availability of more direct flights to Penang, it is time to cover new regions. 'Feedback shows that tourists from other areas enjoy durian too and like the unique atmosphere and photo opportunities at farms. 'Penang Durian 2025 promises to be a one-stop ticket to the most satisfying experience. 'So come hungry and come curious. If you haven't already, you'll fall in love with the King of Fruits,' Wong added. Besides durian buffets, special deals also include treats, perks and discounts at cafes, museums and tour operators. The promotion is ongoing until the end of the fruiting season. For more, visit
CBC
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
35 great Canadian books to read this spring
Looking for a good read? Check out this CBC Books list of the buzzworthy Canadian and fiction, nonfiction and poetry books out right now. She's a Lamb! Jessamyn St. Germain is convinced that she's destined to be a big star. While others might see her dreams as delusional, She's a Lamb! follows Jessamyn's relentless quest — revealing the oppressive weight of patriarchy and the depths she will sink to, for a chance to make her dreams a reality. Meredith Hambrock is a novelist and television writer from Saskatoon. Her story You Should Go Over There was longlisted for the 2016 CBC Short Story Prize. She is also the author of the novel Other People's Secrets. The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue The Paris Express takes readers aboard a suspenseful train journey from the Normandy coast to Paris. Inspired by a real-life photo of a train hanging off the side of Montparnasse station, The Paris Express unravels over the course of one fateful day, featuring the fascinating stories of the passengers, from a young boy traveling solo to a pregnant woman on the run, the devoted railway workers and a young anarchist on a mission. Donoghue is an Irish Canadian writer whose books include the novels Landing, Room, Frog Music, The Wonder, The Pull of the Stars, Learned by Heart and the children's book The Lotterys Plus One. Room was an international bestseller and was adapted into a critically acclaimed film starring Brie Larson. The Pull of the Stars was longlisted for the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize and Canada Reads 2025, and shortlisted for the Trillium Book Award. The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight In The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus, Pen arrives at the University of Edinburgh, set on uncovering what her divorced parents in Canada have hid from her. Not only does she start to uncover the truth about them during a weekend visit to a famous writer, an old friend of her father's, Pen also experiences the many pangs of adulthood for the first time — including falling in love. Emma Knight is an author, journalist and entrepreneur based in Toronto. Her work has appeared in Literary Hub, Vogue, The Globe and Mail, The Walrus and The New York Times. She co-hosted and created the podcast Fanfare and co-founded the organic beverage company Greenhouse. She is the author of cookbooks How to Eat with One Hand and The Greenhouse Cookbook. We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin In We Could Be Rats, Margit has always found it difficult to understand her sister Sigrid, who rejected the conventional path of life, never graduating high school, and preferring instead, to roam the streets with her best friend Greta. When Margit, for the first time, tries to connect with her sister, she uncovers the heartwrenching reasons behind her sister's choices. Emily Austin is a writer based in Ottawa who studied English literature and library science at Western University. She is also the author of the novels and Interesting Facts About Space, and the poetry collection Gay Girl Prayers. We Are Dreams in the Eternal Machine by Deni Béchard Initially programmed to never harm humans, an experimental AI machine in the novel We Are Dreams in the Eternal Machine decides to take a different turn of its own accord. It thinks that the best way to fulfill its mission is to isolate and immerse the Earth's remaining population in imagined worlds where all their desires are fulfilled. Under the machine's mandate, a group of characters is forced to confront the traumatic memories of their past. Deni Ellis Béchard is a Canadian American journalist and the author of nine books. His novels include Vandal Love, which won the Commonwealth Writers Prize, and Into the Sun, which won the Midwest Book Award for literary fiction. He has also received the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for best first book and the Nautilus Book Award for Investigative Journalism. His work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Paris Review and Foreign Policy. In The River Has Roots, a mysterious family known as the Hawthorns live in an enchanted world. The family care for enchanted willows and honour an ancient and magical compact. But when a daughter of the family decides to seek her own path to find love and happiness, the fate of the entire world just might be at risk. Amal El-Mohtar is a Ottawa-based author, editor and critic. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, NPR Books, among others. El-Mohtar's short stories Seasons of Glass and Iron won Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards. Her novella This Is How You Lose the Time War co-written with Max Gladstone has been translated into over ten languages. In the novel The Immortal Woman, Lemei's daughter, Lin, struggles with distancing herself from her Chinese heritage while studying in America. At the same time, she is taken aback by her mother's increasing nationalism toward China — this shift is especially surprising considering her mother had once been a student Red Guard leader who had witnessed the atrocities of the Tiananmen Square protests. Su Chang is a Chinese Canadian writer born and raised in Shanghai. The Immortal Woman is her debut novel. Her writing has been recognized in numerous contests, including Prairie Fire's Short Fiction Contest, the Master Review's Novel Excerpt Contest and the Canadian Authors Association Toronto National Writing Contest, among the others. In Nobody Asked for This, 23-year-old Virginia juggles the challenges of grief, supporting her depressed friend, and caring for her bereaved stepdad, all while dreaming of a successful comedy career. But when her stepdad decides to sell the family home and a date goes horribly wrong, she faces experiences so painstaking, that even coping with humour doesn't help. Georgia Toews is a Toronto-based film, television and fiction writer. Toews' previous work includes her debut novel Hey, Good Luck Out There. The Riveter by Jack Wang The Riveter follows a Chinese Canadian man named Josiah Chang who pursues a cross-cultural romance with a singer named Poppy. When he is given the chance to fight abroad in Europe during World War II, their passionate relationship is what keeps Josiah determined to survive the battlefields and make it back home. Jack Wang is a N.Y.-based writer and professor originally from Vancouver. He teaches in the department of writing at Ithaca College and his writing has appeared in Joyland Magazine, The New Quarterly and Fiddlehead, among others. Wang's debut short story collection, We Two Alone was longlisted for Canada Reads 2022, shortlisted for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize and won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award. Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley In Deep Cuts, aspiring musician Percy Marks meets songwriter Joe Morrow at a bar, leading to a partnership that lasts for years. Their relationship, though passionate, also brings ego-crushing challenges, leaving Percy to wonder if Joe is worth holding onto. Holly Brickley, a writer originally from Hope, B.C., currently lives in Portland, Ore. She studied English at UC Berkeley and holds an MFA in fiction from Columbia University. Deep Cuts is her debut novel. It has been optioned to be adapted to a film; actors Saoirse Ronan and Austin Butler have been cast as the film's leads. Finding Flora by Elinor Florence In Finding Flora, Scottish newcomer to Canada, Flora, escapes her abusive husband to the Alberta prairie, determined to rebuild her life. But when a hostile government threatens their land and her violent husband is on the hunt for her, Flora forms a bond with her neighbours — a Welsh widow with three children, two American women raising chickens, and a Métis woman training wild horses. United, the women come together to face their challenges. Elinor Florence is an author, journalist and member of the Métis Nation of B.C. Her debut novel was Bird's Eye View, and her second novel, Wildwood, was one of Kobo's Hundred Most Popular Canadian Books of All Time. Florence holds degrees in English and journalism. She grew up in Saskatchewan and currently lives in Invermere, B.C. The Last Exile by Sam Wiebe In The Last Exile, private investigator Dave Wakeland returns to the streets of Vancouver to solve his most dangerous case yet. Maggie Zito, a single mother, stands accused of killing the retired leader of the notorious Exiles motorcycle gang and his wife. Wakeland digs into the case, facing off against the gang, and their bloodthirsty leader to figure out why Maggie was framed. Sam Wiebe is the award-winning author of the Wakeland detective series, including Invisible Dead, Cut You Down, Hell and Gone and Sunset and Jericho. His debut novel, Last of the Independents, won the Arthur Ellis Award for best unpublished first novel and the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. His work has been shortlisted for the Edgar Awards, Hammett Prize, Shamus Awards and City of Vancouver Book Awards, and has won the Crime Writers of Canada Award and a silver medal from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. He lives in New Westminster, B.C. Flesh by David Szalay In Flesh, 15-year-old István has a relationship with a married woman, causing his life to spiral out of control. As he grows older, he continues to live a life of recklessness, achieving all his desires for a time — until they threaten to undo him completely. David Szalay was born in Montreal, but grew up in London and now lives in Vienna. Some of Szalay's other titles include the novel London and the South-East, which won the Betty Trask Prize and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize, and All That Man Is, which was shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize and won the 2016 Gordon Burn Prize. He received the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and the Reader's Choice Award in October 2019. Small Ceremonies by Kyle Edwards In the city of Winnipeg, two Indigenous boys are on the cusp of adulthood, imagining a future filled with possibility and greatness. In Small Ceremonies, their stories are intertwined with others in the community, who are also searching for purpose, all of which ultimately leads to one fateful and tragic night. Kyle Edwards is an award-winning Anishinaabe journalist and writer from the Lake Manitoba First Nation and a member of the Ebb and Flow First Nation. His work has appeared in the BBC News World, CBC, Maclean's, Native News Online and the Toronto Star. He has won two National Magazine Awards in Canada, and he was recognized as an Emerging Indigenous Journalist by the Canadian Association of Journalists. A graduate of Ryerson University, he is currently a Provost Fellow at the University of Southern California, where he is pursuing a PhD in creative writing and literature. The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose The latest by bestselling author Nita Prose is the novel The Maid's Secret. Everything seems to be on the up and up for Molly Gray, but her life is soon to change. Despite a new promotion at the hotel she works at and impending nuptials to her beloved Juan Manuel, a new mystery involving a rare treasure, an elusive thief and a long-forgotten diary put Molly's life in peril. Prose is a Toronto author and editor. She was formerly the Canadian vice president and editorial director for publishing company Simon & Schuster. Her books include The Maid, and The Mistletoe Mystery. Two different worlds collide in Spiral, when Elias Westbrook, a famous hockey player always in the spotlight, agrees to fake date Sage Beaumont, an aspiring, less assuming ballerina hoping to join the Aurora Ballet Theatre. As they spend more time together, the two opposites begin to realize that their feelings for each other are more than just for show. Bal Khabra is a Vancouver-based writer. Her debut novel is Collide. Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow In Picks and Shovels, San Francisco-based Martin Hench is an MIT dropout who picks up odd jobs in a world where a revolutionary new technology promises to change everything about crime forever. When Marty gets a gig investigating a group of disgruntled ex-employees who've founded a competitor startup, he quickly realizes he might be on the wrong side of things. Martin's life might be in danger and he has to quickly solve a corporate mystery. Cory Doctorow is a Toronto-born author, activist and journalist living in Los Angeles. His work, spanning non-fiction, fiction, and adult, YA and childhood audiences, has seen him inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame and earned him the Sir Arthur Clarke Imagination in Service to Society Award for lifetime achievement. His book Radicalized was a 2020 Canada Reads contender, defended by Akil Augustine Chasing Shadows by Ronald J. Deibert. Chasing Shadows is a nonfiction work that delves into the dark underworld of digital espionage, disinformation and subversion. The work explores how today's digital age has enabled a world where activists, opposition figures and journalists who dare to advocate for basic political rights and freedoms are targeted by autocratic regimes. Ronald Deibert is the founder and director of Citizen Lab, a research centre based at the University of Toronto, which studies technology, surveillance and censorship. Deibert delivered the 2020 Massey series of lectures, titled Reset: Reclaiming the Internet for Civil Society. Reset won the 2021 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing and was also nominated for the 2021 Donner Prize for best Canadian public policy book. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This marks Egyptian Canadian journalist and writer Omar El Akkad's nonfiction debut. In the fall of 2023, shortly after the bombardment of Gaza, he posted on social media a statement: "One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this." One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This expands on his powerful social media message and chronicles his thoughts on the fragile nature of truth, justice, privilege and morality. El Akkad is a Canadian journalist and author who currently lives in Portland, Ore. His novel American War, which was defended on Canada Reads 2018 by actor Tahmoh Penikett., and his novel What Strange Paradise won the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was defended on Canada Reads 2022 by Tareq Hadhad. Restaurant Kid by Rachel Phan Three decades after her family's restaurant opened, Rachel Phan's parents are considering retirement. In Restaurant Kid, Phan reflects on this milestone and shares her experience growing up as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, from living with parents who were building a new life to navigating the challenges of being the only Chinese girl at school. Phan is a Toronto-based writer. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, CBC, the National Post and Maclean's. She holds a Master of Journalism from the Toronto Metropolitan University. Searches by Vauhini Vara Vauhini Vara's Searches is a nonfiction work that grapples with ethical questions around AI, big tech and human nature. In 2021, Vara asked a predecessor of ChatGPT to write about her sister's death, resulting in an essay that was equal parts moving and disturbing. The experience led Vara to explore how these technologies shape identity and how online content is often exploited for corporations' financial gain. The Saskatchewan-born, Colorado-based Vara has been a technology reporter and editor for The Atlantic, The New Yorker and the New York Times Magazine, and is the author of novel The Immortal King Rao and story collection This is Salvaged. It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished by Kate Gies When Kate Gies was born without her right ear, plastic surgeons vowed to make her "whole" and craft the appearance of an outer ear. The Toronto author underwent 14 surgeries before the age of 13, many of which failed, leaving permanent scars — both physically and mentally. Gies shares her harrowing experiences and path to accepting her body through poignant vignettes that form her debut memoir, It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished. Gies is a Toronto-based writer and educator. She teaches at George Brown College. Her writing has been published in The Malahat Review, The Humber Literary Review, Hobart, Minola Review and The Conium Review. She was also longlisted for the 2018 CBC Nonfiction Prize. It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished is her first book and her essay F oreign Bodies will be included in the forthcoming Best Canadian Essays anthology. When Toronto-based journalist Bonny Reichert turned 40, she quit her job and enrolled in culinary school — a life-changing decision that pushed her to explore her relationship with food in writing. This exploration, along with a critical bowl of borscht in Warsaw, led Reichert to writing her memoir, How to Share an Egg, which dives into how food shapes her history as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. Bonny Reichert is a journalist and chef based in Toronto. She was formerly an editor at Today's Parent and Chatelaine and has written for The Globe and Mail. She won a National Magazine Award and was on the longlist for the 2020 CBC Short Story Prize. She teaches writing at the University of Toronto. For the Love of a Son is a memoir that explores a father's unconditional love for a son struggling with drugs, addiction and violence. When Canadian broadcaster Scott Oake first held his infant son, Bruce, in his arms, he never imagined that Bruce would become a statistic in the losing battle to opioid abuse. Oake explores the life of his late son and the lasting impact of loving and supporting someone battling substance use disorder. Oake is a sportscaster for CBC Sports, Sportsnet and Hockey Night in Canada. He is on the Roll of Honour of the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association and appointed a Member of the Order of Manitoba and the Order of Canada. Originally from Sydney, Nova Scotia, Oake started his broadcasting career at Memorial University's campus radio station before spending five decades with CBC. No Fault by Haley Mlotek At the age of ten, Haley Mlotek told her mother to get a divorce. In No Fault, Mlotek shares how divorce was a constant presence in her life, with her mother running a mediation and marriage counseling practice, and Mlotek spending her preteen years handling calls and drafting parenting plans for couples splitting up. However, her understanding on divorce would completely change when she went through the experience of divorcing her own husband after twelve years. Mlotek is a Montreal-based writer and editor whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker and ELLE, among others. A founding member of the Freelance Solidarity Project, Mlotek also teaches in the English and journalism departments at Concordia University. She previously worked as deputy editor at SSENSE, style editor at MTV News, editor at The Hairpin and publisher of WORN Fashion Journal. Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul In Sucker Punch, Scaachi Koul candidly recounts the painful events that turned her life upside down, from her marriage falling apart to her mother's cancer diagnosis, and everything in between. With her signature humour, Koul reflects on navigating struggle — shifting from her belief that fighting is the only way out — to exploring when to fight and when to let go in the face of life's unexpected challenges. Koul is a writer from Calgary who currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her debut book, One Day We'll All Be Dead And None Of This Will Matter, was a New York Times Editors' Choice and a finalist for the Leacock Medal for Humor and the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. She is currently a Senior Writer at Slate and co-hosts the Ambie Award-winning podcast Scamfluencers. Koul also co-hosted the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Follow This, and her work has been published in The New Yorker, This American Life, New York Magazine and The Cut. She has also appeared in documentaries such as Quiet On Set and Pretty Baby. Baldwin, Styron, and Me is about the unexpected literary friendship between James Baldwin and William Styron, which began when they wrote together at Styron's guest house in 1961. Their discussions often focused on race in America, and Baldwin is said to have encouraged Styron to write the controversial The Confessions of Nat Turner, a novel that later won the Pulitzer Prize. Decades later, Mélikah Abdelmoumen, a racialized woman, reflects on their bond and examines the ongoing relevance of questions related to identity, race and equity. Mélikah Abdelmoumen is the author of several short stories, essays and books. Her previous works include Les désastrées and Douze ans en France. Her essay Baldwin, Styron et moi won the 2022 Pierre-Vadeboncoeur Essay Prize. She is the former editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Lettres québécoises. She holds a PhD in literature from the University of Montreal. Catherine Khordoc is a translator based in Ottawa. She is a professor at Carleton University in the department of French and the School of Indigenous and Canadian studies. Field Work by Andrew Forbes Field Work explores baseball's history and sheds light on the people who make the game happen, from the people building ballparks to parents coaching Little League teams. Relayed poetically, Andrew Forbes examines the complex relationship between work, play and how we value labour in the world of baseball. Forbes's first short story collection What You Need was a finalist for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and Trillium Book Award. He is also the author of The Utility of Boredom, The Only Way Is the Steady Way, McCurdle's Arm and The Diapause. His stories have appeared in the Toronto Star, Canadian Notes and Queries and Maisonneuve Magazine, among others. He is based in Peterborough, Ont. How to Survive a Bear Attack by Claire Cameron In How to Survive a Bear Attack, Cameron investigates a 1991 bear attack that killed a couple camping in Ontario's Algonquin Provincial Park, an unusual event that's haunted her since her time working at a nearby summer camp. The idea to explore the attack came while she was recovering from cancer surgery. The book blends her personal journey, vivid descriptions of Algonquin Park, and the true crime elements of the mysterious case. Claire Cameron is a Toronto-based writer and journalist. She's known for her novels The Line Painter, which won the Northern Lit Award, The Bear, which was longlisted for the 2014 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction, and The Last Neanderthal, which was a finalist for the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Globe and Mail, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon and The Millions, where she is a staff writer. The late Peter Goddard was a highly respected music critic and journalist. In the summer of 2020, he began working on a book reflecting on his more than fifty-year career, but died in 2022 before finishing the manuscript. One Foot on the Platform includes new essays by Goddard, featuring pieces on artists like Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, k.d. lang and David Bowie, along with some of the classics of his career, celebrating and honouring his legendary work. Goddard was a prominent Canadian cultural critic who covered a wide range of topics, including rock 'n' roll, fashion, movies and classical music. He contributed to publications such as the Globe and Mail, Maclean's and the Toronto Star where he worked for over 30 years. In 1982, he became the first Canadian critic of popular culture to win a National Newspaper Award for criticism. His previous works include Frank Sinatra: The Man, the Myth and the Music and The Great Gould. J.A. Wainwright is a writer and McCulloch emeritus professor in English at Dalhousie University, where he taught for 30 years. He is the author of six novels, two critical biographies, five poetry books and an opera libretto. i cut my tongue on a broken country by Kyo Lee Through the poet's reflections on growing up queer and Korean Canadian, i cut my tongue on a broken country explores a coming-of-age marked with beauty, pain and a quest for love. Kyo Lee is a queer high school student from Waterloo, Ont. Her work is featured in PRISM International, Nimrod, The Forge Literary Magazine and This Magazine, among others. She is the youngest winner of the CBC Poetry Prize, for her poem lotus flower blooming into breasts, and the youngest finalist for the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award. The poems in No One Knows Us There show two portraits of early womanhood. The first, a devoted granddaughter responding to needs in hospital hallways, the second, the same woman ten years older, looking at her younger self with compassion and hopes for healing. Jessica Bebenek is a queer interdisciplinary poet, bookmaker and educator living between Tiohtià:ke (Montreal) and an off-grid shack on unceded Anishinaabeg territory. Bebenek's writing has been nominated for the Journey Prize, twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and in 2021 she was a finalist for the Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers in Poetry. In Autopsy (of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob), Avan Jogia, who played Beck in Victorious, shares what it was like to grow up as a teen idol through a collection of poems. Using vivid imagery, he's strikingly honest as he reveals the nature of fame, ego and cravings for love. Jogia is a Canadian actor, writer and musician. He is also the author of Mixed Feelings, where he takes a look at what it means to be a mixed race person through a series of poems, drawings, short stories and interviews. All Wrong Horses on Fire that Go Away in the Rain is a collection of poems that searches through family history and sheds light on intergenerational trauma and how it impacts Indigenous voices. Bringing together fragmented memories, All Wrong Horses on Fire that Go Away in the Rain invites strength, beauty and intensity. Sarain Frank Soonias is a Cree/Ojibwe writer and artist. His work has appeared in ARC Poetry Magazine, Canadian Literature Review, Carousel, Carte Blanche and Filling Station, among others. All Wrong Horses on Fire that Go Away in the Rain is Soonias's debut poetry book. He currently lives in Red Deer, Alta. A Different Hurricane by H. Nigel Thomas In A Different Hurricane, teenage best friends Gordon and Allen are in love with each other, but they're forced apart by the fear of how their community with traditional views will react. After returning home from studying abroad, they must do all they can to hide their relationship when Gordon's wife exposes his affair, putting their lives in danger. Black Canadian writers share the power — and burden — of making art with language H. Nigel Thomas is a Vincentian Canadian writer. He is the author of 13 books that span the genres of fiction, poetry and literary criticism. He has won many awards, including the Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prize in 2022, the Jackie Robinson Professional of the Year Award and the Black Theatre Workshop's Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award. He currently lives in Montreal.
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Shock Marine Le Pen verdict rocks French far right
"Incredible." That was the single word uttered under her breath by Marine Le Pen as she stormed out of a Paris courtroom this left the court early – just before hearing that she was barred from running for office for five years after being found guilty of embezzlement of EU funds – almost certainly ruling her out from standing in the 2027 French presidential even waiting for the judge to pronounce the full details of the sentence, the head of the National Rally knew that her political goose was would be no reprieve pending appeal. The bar on running for office was real and immediate. A four-year prison sentence, of which two will be suspended, will be on hold pending her political plans are Pen's incredulity can be better excused, perhaps, in the context of the moment.A consensus had almost established itself across France's political world that this ultimate sanction by the court could not, would not – in the end – take was not just Le Pen's followers who said it. Her enemies agreed, from Jean-Luc Melenchon on the far left to Prime Minister François Bayrou in the centre and Justice Minister Gérard Darmanin on the said that Marine Le Pen was too important a figure to be removed from the political scene at the stroke of a judge's sought justification from legal argument. There was no requirement for the judge, Bénédicte de Perthuis, to order immediate ineligibility from running for office. The judge had latitude. Ms de Perthuis would take account of the national context, they thought, and the affront done to democracy if a front-runner for the 2027 presidential election were to be disbarred from the they were all wrong. The judge said that the law was the law had in fact recently been toughened – by the very politicians who were now complaining about its application – to make the penalty for misuse of public funds very severe indeed. Well, said the judge in so many words, now let politicians suck up their own Marine Le Pen was naïve in not predicting this outcome. It certainly appears as if her National Rally party was singularly unprepared for as they meet in an emergency session after the verdict, party leaders are in a they continue as if there is still a chance Marine Le Pen will run in 2027?In theory there is still a (small) possibility. She has already launched an appeal. The appeal could be accelerated and take place at the end of this year or early 2026. A verdict would follow in the appeal hearing could result in a shorter period of ineligibility, or remove it altogether – in which case she could still run. But the chances must be regarded as should they proceed with plan B – that is to say, with naming 29-year-old party president Jordan Bardella as de facto the man who will run in Marine Le Pen's place?That might be a more realistic assessment of what lies ahead. But to turn to Bardella too quickly would be unseemly. And anyway, not everyone in the party is a Marine Le Pen, everyone could unite. Behind Bardella, not so this, and on so many other questions, the fall-out of the political earthquake is for example, will the effect be on the RN vote?In the short term we can expect an outcry, and a boost to the party's support. Why? Because what has happened fits so neatly into the RN narrative that the populist right is a victim of the "system".No-one likely to vote for the RN seriously holds it against Marine Le Pen for illegally financing her party using EU parliament funds. They all know that every French political party has resorted to similar underhand methods in the the same token, her "draconian" punishment – being banned from standing for the presidency – will be interpreted as a badge of honour: proof that she alone is standing up to the term, though, the boost may not be so powerful. The truth is that Marine Le Pen is a huge asset to the RN. This battle-hardened, sentimental, cat-loving, tough-talking, long-suffering woman is held in huge affection by her supporters, who feel they know her Bardella is a popular figure too, but at his age it is hard to see him filling her shoes. With Marine Le Pen out of the picture, the RN loses much of its is certain is that many would-be candidates on the French right wing – like former interior minister Bruno Retailleau – would see in a Bardella candidacy a huge opportunity for other unknown is Le Pen remains a member of the National Assembly, where she leads a bloc of 125 – the parliament's biggest. Till now she had not used that sizeable bloc to attempt to bring down the government of the beleaguered prime minister Francois Bayrou, who struggles on despite having no days may be should we do anyone any favours now, they will be saying at RN HQ. Why not bring the house down?
