Longtime Cuban dictator Fidel Castro died at age 90, his brother and current president Raul announced Friday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Cuba just 10 days ago but couldn’t arrange a visit with Castro, who led the Cuban communist revolution and with whom his father Pierre Trudeau shared mutual admiration. Castro’s health was known to be precarious, though he held a successful visit with the president of Vietnam just days earlier.
Pierre Trudeau visited Castro in 1976 as prime minister — the first member of NATO to do so — and again several times after leaving politics. Castro attended Trudeau’s funeral in 2000, two years after he and Jean Chrétien inaugurated the Havana airport’s international terminal together.
Castro overcame imprisonment at the hands of dictator Fulgencio Batista, exile in Mexico and a disastrous start to his rebellion before triumphantly riding into Havana in January 1959 to become, at age 32, the youngest leader in Latin America. For decades, he served as an inspiration and source of support to revolutionaries from Latin America to Africa.
— The Associated Press
New regulations targeting smokers in Quebec come into effect today. It is no longer permitted to smoke within nine metres of a door, a window or external air intake of any public or private building. Those repeatedly breaking the ban can face fines of up to $1,500.
Nez Rouge kicked off its 2016 season last night, and will continue offering to drive you and your car home until New Year’s Eve. The service gave over 60,000 rides across Quebec last year.
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