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‘Percy Jackson’ billed as first show shot in Canada to use cutting-edge LED stage

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:21 GMT

TORONTO — “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is an effects-laden adaptation full of Greek gods, mythical monsters and otherworldly landscapes, but its young stars say they didn’t have to rely on imagination to visualize their fabled scene partners.Disney Plus says the British Columbia-shot series, based on Rick Riordan’s best-selling fantasy novels, uses cutting-edge technology that forgoes green screens.It’s billed as the first project shot in Canada to use the technology, dubbed StageCraft. At its heart is a newly built virtual production stage in Vancouver, known as “the volume,” which consists of 28-metre LED video walls that immerse actors inside computer-generated environments in real time. Actors on the stage see video projections of CGI backdrops and characters that would traditionally be added in post-production.Designed by Industrial Light & Magic, a division of Disney’s Lucasfilm, the stage’s first project was “Percy Jackson,” but there ar...

Powerful gusts over 100 kilometres per hour, steady rain projected to hit East Coast

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:21 GMT

HALIFAX — Powerful gusts are expected to reach speeds of more than 100 kilometres per hour on Canada’s East Coast today as two large pressure systems meet over the Atlantic Ocean.Ian Hubbard with Environment Canada says strong winds are forecast to begin in southern Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and sweep across the provinces through the day and overnight.The storm is expected to head overnight across the Cabot Strait and into southern Newfoundland, where powerful winds are also expected.Hubbard says the strongest gusts may reach up to 110 km/h and that between 50 to 80 millimetres of rain will fall.The forecaster says the storm is the result of a low-pressure system meeting an abnormally high-pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean, creating a slow-moving storm with strong winds for eight to 12 hours.The weather agency is also calling for high coastal water levels overnight, which will bring risk of flooding along the central and eastern part of the Atlantic coast of Nova Scoti...

Energy stocks help boost S&P/TSX composite as price of oil moves higher

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:21 GMT

TORONTO — Strength in energy stocks, as price of oil moved higher, helped Canada’s main stock index gain more than 100 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 109.62 points at 20,638.77.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 80.65 points at 37,385.81. The S&P 500 index was up 19.94 points at 4,739.13, while the Nasdaq composite was up 43.73 points at 14,857.65.The Canadian dollar traded for 74.58 cents US compared with 74.75 cents US on Friday.The February crude oil contract was up US$2.18 at US$73.96 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up five cents at US$2.54 per mmBTU.The February gold contract was up 50 cents at US$2,036.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down three cents at US$3.86 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)The Canadian Press

Don’t wait until you see a problem to get an eye exam

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:21 GMT

A new survey reveals more than one-third of Canadians say they’d only book an eye exam if they feel there’s something wrong with their vision, but experts say it’s best not to wait that long.By the time an eye condition becomes noticeable, there might already be significant damage or vision loss, which isn’t always reversible.“That is often too late because a lot of ocular conditions can actually have no symptoms, so we wouldn’t know what’s happening,” says optometrist Natalia Nowakowska.The survey conducted by Leger for Specsavers and the Canadian Council of the Blind, says 38 per cent of Canadian adults are overdue for their regular eye exam.“Seventy-five per cent of vision loss is actually preventable and treatable,” says Nowakowska, explaining why regular checks are necessary.“As an example with glaucoma — it starts in the periphery and it’s a tunneling of the peripheral vision. You wouldn’t notice that there’s ac...

Annual rent increases slowing as average asking price reaches $2,174 in November

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:21 GMT

A report says the average asking price for a rental unit in Canada was $2,174 in November, relatively flat from the previous month but an 8.4 per cent increase year-over-year.The data released Friday by Rentals.ca and Urbanation, which analyzes monthly listings from the former’s network, shows the annual rate of rent growth in Canada continues to slow, following increases of 9.9 per cent in October and 11.1 per cent in September.The average cost of a one-bedroom unit in November was $1,911, up 13.6 per cent from the same month in 2022, while the average asking price for a two-bedroom was $2,260, up 10.5 per cent annually.The report says there were notable slowdowns in two of Canada’s most expensive major cities for renters. Vancouver saw asking rents rise 0.7 per cent from last year to $3,171, while average asking rents in Toronto decreased 2.4 per cent to $2,913.Meanwhile, Edmonton overtook Calgary as the leader in rent growth among major markets, as average asking rent...

From emotional support to business advice, winners of I Love My Librarian awards serve in many ways

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:21 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — This year’s winners of the I Love My Librarian Award, $5,000 honors presented by the American Library Association, took on a lot more than selecting books and fighting bans.Diana Haneski, at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is a survivor of the 2018 shootings, who is committed to emotional support for others. Fred Gitner, of New York City’ Queens Public Library, develops resources for immigrants and asylum-seekers. At the University of Puerto Rico, Gladys López-Soto draws upon her expertise in copyright law to aid aspiring entrepreneurs and inventors.“While much of the national conversation surrounding libraries has fixated on book censorship, and as library workers across the U.S. continue to face historic levels of intimidation and harassment, librarians’ efforts to empower their patrons and provide vital services for their communities shines a spotlight on the enduring value of libraries in our society,” library associatio...

Pakistan is stunned as party of imprisoned ex-PM Khan uses AI to replicate his voice for a speech

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:21 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — For the first time, artificial intelligence has been used to deliver a speech by Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to supporters. The stunning development could help his political party to win upcoming elections, analysts said Monday.The replicated voice of Pakistan’s most popular opposition figure was used to address a virtual event on social media watched by more than a million people. The four-minute speech was written by Khan in prison and delivered by AI.It was not immediately clear if Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, violated any laws. The party confirmed the speech was AI-generated. Khan’s public addresses are heavily restricted in Pakistan.Pakistan’s government has not commented.Khan has had almost no contact with the outside world since he was imprisoned in August on a corruption charge. He faces a slew of other legal cases, making it impossible for him to contest the Feb. 8 parliamentary polls. His lawyer says...

Maryland Stadium Authority approves a lease extension for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:21 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Maryland Stadium Authority approved a lease extension for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Monday in one of the final steps formalizing a long-term agreement between the team and the state.The deal was set to go before the state’s Board of Public Works — a three-member board chaired by the governor — later in the day.The Orioles’ lease at Camden Yards expires at the end of the year. In September, the team announced a new 30-year deal to stay in the ballpark, and the governor’s office released details of a memorandum of understanding involving the team, the Stadium Authority and Gov. Wes Moore.Bill Ferguson, the president of the state senate, expressed concerns earlier this month over the development rights agreement that was part of the deal. Ferguson supported the new plan ironed out since then.The deal extends the lease for 30 years, with an option to end it after 15 if the team does not receive approval from state officials for development plans...

Attorneys for Kentucky woman seeking abortion withdraw lawsuit

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:21 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Attorneys for a Kentucky woman who filed a lawsuit demanding the right to an abortion have withdrawn the lawsuit after the woman learned her embryo no longer has cardiac activity.In a court filing Sunday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky told a judge they will “voluntarily dismiss” the lawsuit filed Dec. 8.Lawyers for the woman pointed to a Kentucky Supreme Court decision earlier this year that said abortion providers cannot sue on behalf of their patients, limiting the legal actions to individuals seeking an abortion. The lawsuit had sought class-action status.“The court’s decision has forced Kentuckians seeking abortion to bring a lawsuit while in the middle of seeking time-sensitive health care, a daunting feat, and one that should not be necessary to reclaim the fundamental right to control their own bodies,” The ACLU of Kentucky said in a release Monday. The attorneys said they would continue to look for possible plaintiffs.The case — Jane D...

Hundreds without power after truck strikes power line in Mississauga crash

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:21 GMT

Two people are injured and a number of residents are without power after a crash in Mississauga on Monday morning.Emergency crews responded to a two-vehicle crash near Dixie Road and Meyerside Drive around 9:30 a.m.Police say one of the vehicles hit a power line and knocked out power in the area. Images from the scene show a large truck on its side near a damaged utility pole.Two males were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries and the other with minor injuries.Alectra says the outage is impacting around 1,000 homes and businesses in the area bounded by Dixie, Britannia Road, Atlantic Drive and Tomken Road. Crews have been dispatched and they estimate power will be restored around noon.Southbound Dixie is closed from Courtneypark Drive to Shawson Drive for the investigation. Police say the road will be closed for “an extended period.”