In case you’re wondering what Vladimir Putin got up to during his state visit to China this week, it included a stop in “Little Moscow,” visiting a Soviet soldier memorial, and dreaming up plans to launch a rival singing contest to Eurovision (which banned Russia in 2022).

Most importantly, Putin was looking to firm up ties with the nation that threw Russia a lifeline after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

 In a development surprising no one, the headline-making pair of giant video portals that allow people in NYC and Dublin to see each other via livestream have been temporarily shut down less than a week into their existence due to inappropriate behaviour from some passers-by.  

You know protests have gotten out of hand when the government bans both TikTok and alcohol sales — which is exactly what happened this week in New Caledonia. 

Driving the news: France has imposed a state of emergency on the Indo-Pacific island territory of New Caledonia after days of rioting killed five and injured at least 300 people. A thousand police reinforcements were sent in to “regain control” of certain areas. 

Think of how often you Google things, and it might give you an idea of how much a redesign of its core product is about to change how the whole internet works.

The next time your job feels impossible, remember there are people in charge of doubling the capacity of Canada’s energy grid by 2050.

Driving the news: According to a federal government report, Canada has to double its current electricity supply over the next 26 years to meet growing demand. Even Québec, long seen as a source of limitless electricity, is expected to face shortages by 2027.

Unlike the mythological bird of the same name, the federal government’s Phoenix payroll system is not going to rise from the ashes. 

Driving the news: The feds are reportedly going full speed ahead with their plans to ditch Phoenix, the public service payroll system that has done nothing but cause headaches since its launch in 2016. As of last year, 30% of federal employees reported errors in their pay.

Jumping on the train might seem like a nice alternative to a traffic jam… until you realize your train is also sitting in a traffic jam. 

Many Canadians rely on the national passenger rail service: 4.1 million people hopped aboard a Via Rail train last year — a 25% jump from 2022 — and CEO Mario Péloquin says he expects to see a record of over five million passengers take a Via Rail train in 2024. 

AI is calling the shots when it comes to snagging an interview for your dream job, so your resume better stand out.

More Canadians are staying at home to avoid spending money, amid higher costs of living. 

Canadian wildfires are primed to make some (really bad) history again this year. 

Driving the news: Thousands of residents in communities across Alberta, B.C., and Manitoba have been ordered to evacuate as another vicious wildfire season kicks into high gear. As of writing, 130 fires — 38 of which are out of control — have burned 362,100 hectares of land. 

The value of global sports TV contracts is set to reach US$62.4 billion this year. The NFL alone accounts for ~20% of that total. 

Driving the news: After years of swearing it wouldn’t touch live sports, Netflix is writing a big cheque for the white whale of broadcasting rights.

Canada Goose — the iconic Canadian brand that began by making jackets for park rangers before pivoting to making status symbols for Bay Street traders — is getting even bougier.

What happened: Ahead of its quarterly earnings, the parka-maker announced the hiring of acclaimed French designer Haider Ackermann as its first-ever creative director. 

What might seem like really cool new chatbots are the latest steps towards what several big tech companies hope will be the future of AI.

The problem: Psychedelics like LSD and magic mushrooms are a buzzy research area because of their potential mental health benefits. But they still aren’t well-understood, and might not be practical for people who can’t work a hallucination into their day-to-day lives.

If you thought the AI boom was done turning companies into tech giants, think again.

If you’re anything like us, you’re probably not that well-versed in the business and legal drama that’s engulfed the global mining industry in recent days, but the proposed takeover of miner Anglo American by competitor BHP is a US$43 billion story worth paying attention to. 

What happened: BHP, an Australian miner, is attempting to buy Anglo American, a British miner, in a bid to create the world's largest copper miner.

 To curb rising auto theft in the province, the Ontario government is taking a page out of our parents’ playbook and threatening to take away driving privileges: A new law will introduce driver's licence suspensions of at least 10 years for some convicted car thieves.