Vancouver has absolutely aced it for the World Cup.
This is 9:30pm on a Sunday when there was no massive game on TV or match on at BC Place.
Best World Cup city, by a kilometre.
Remember all the people that said Vancouver wasn’t hyped for the World Cup? They’re awfully quiet now. The first two days and it’s reminiscent of the 2010 Olympics. And you’re seeing our multiculturalism on display.
Closing Granville strip is the single best decision the City made. The city needs to let folks out more and after the World Cup is gone we need a serious discussion on funding year round events in Vancouver.
Like millions of Canadians, my ancestors left Ireland in the shadow of the famine. They carried hope across the Atlantic and helped build the Canada we know today.
To return to Mayo, and receive a welcome such as this, is a testament to the life they built for their children — and to the indomitable spirit of the Irish, everywhere — whose pride in their heritage is unbroken by distance and time.
After Japan battled the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw, the Japanese fans stayed behind and cleaned up every single piece of trash from their section at Dallas Stadium after the game.
Major cheat code for life: Leave people better than you found them. A kind word. A thoughtful question. A small encouragement. A little more belief than they had before. You never know which sentence becomes the one someone carries for years.
You should have things you don't do, places you don't go to, substances you don't take, words you don't say
By all means, have Principles and Standards.
BREAKING: Trump administration claims the Somali referee was denied entry because he is a security threat to the US with links to suspected terrorists. He was questioned for 11 hours, including about Al Shabab
Omar Abdulkadir Artan just landed back in Somalia to a hero's welcome
A telltale sign of an ignorant leader is failing to read books.
Fiction builds empathy and imagination. Nonfiction boosts concentration and critical thinking. Not reading fuels mental stagnation.
Leaders who “don't have time to read” are leaders who don't make time to learn.
#Burundi: I am still reflecting on the @NgogaFred's voice against discrimination in Burundi because the reactions to Amb. Fred Ngoga's remarks raised important questions: why has so much energy been devoted to attacking the messenger rather than examining the message?
Amb. Ngoga is not an inexperienced commentator seeking attention on social media. He is a seasoned peace and security practitioner who spent decades leading the African Union's Continental Early Warning System and working on conflict prevention across Africa. Whether one agrees with him or not, his observations deserve engagement on their merits.
What makes his intervention significant is not only what he said, but also who said it. For years, Amb. Ngoga has been viewed as a defender of Burundi in regional and international circles. He is not an opposition activist, nor is he known as a hostile critic of the government. His decision to publicly acknowledge concerns about discrimination against the Tutsi in Burundi therefore carries a weight that cannot easily be dismissed.
Moreover, his language was not inflammatory. He did not call for confrontation. He did not insult anyone. He called for recognition of a problem, dialogue, justice, reconciliation, and equal dignity. These are not the words of a political agitator; they are the language of peacebuilding.
If his concerns are unfounded, the appropriate response is not intimidation, personal attacks, or targeting his family. The appropriate response is evidence. Why not commission serious studies, examine available data, and openly discuss the realities of inclusion, representation, and reconciliation? Facts are more convincing than insults.
The reference to the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement should not be controversial. Arusha remains one of the most important foundations of Burundi's modern political order. Calling for renewed reflection on its principles should not be treated as an act of hostility.
The deeper question is this: if a respected senior African peace and security official, widely regarded as a friend and ally of the President, feels compelled to raise such concerns publicly, what does that say about the state of internal dialogue? Has space narrowed for difficult conversations inside the system itself?
Ultimately, Amb. Ngoga's intervention should not be judged by whether it is politically convenient. It should be judged by whether the issues he raised are worthy of honest examination.
If the Burundi regime seeks lasting peace and reconciliation, the question is not whether Amb. Fred Ngoga should have spoken. The question is whether the leaders of today in Burundi are willing to listen... To be continued. @GeneralNeva@willynyamitwe@OmbudsmanBI@ndayicariye@Burundicvr@Burundi_senat@nshingamateka@FOCODE_@US_SrAdvisorAF@_AfricanUnion@UNSC_Reports@jumuiya@StateHouseUg@KagutaMuseveni