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(Graphic art by Oma Studios) Two fatal shootings in Minneapolis this January didn’t just take lives. They set off protests, political firestorms and a blitz of online narratives racing ahead of the facts.  Almost immediately, videos, tweets and posts shaped what people believed had happened.  On Jan. 7, Renée Good was shot and killed by a federal immigration agent during an enforcement operation. On Jan. 24, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse for the U.S.

A residential area during a power blackout this month in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Credit: Oksana Parafeniuk) A major Russian aerial assault on Ukraine has left large parts of Kyiv without heating, water and electricity as winter temperatures hover around –10 C, Ukrainian officials said last Wednesday. The overnight barrage involved drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles targeting energy and civilian infrastructure across the country. At least four people were killed and dozens

About 200 people gathered outside Fredericton City Hall to show support for protesters in Iran as demonstrations continue across the country. Several attendees said they have friends or family in Iran whom they have been unable to contact because of widespread communications blackouts. (Credit: Tabassom Tallaie) Deadly anti-government protests in Iran are intensifying, with human rights groups reporting at least 2,000 people killed as demonstrations continue to challenge the

A Syncrude oil sands mining facility near Fort McKay, Alta., in September 2022. Venezuelan oil is a similar grade to that from Canada’s oil sands. (Ed Jones / Getty Images) Global energy geopolitics are rapidly reshaping markets and national strategies throughout the Western Hemisphere.  Venezuela’s potential reemergence as a major oil producer has recently renewed the U.S. interest in strategic resources, including those in the Arctic. Combined with increasing pressure on Ca

On Nov. 24, 2025, the Fredericton City Council approved the 2026 General Fund Operating Budget, valued at $184.8 million. (Polina Kozlova/The AQ) According to the president of the St. Thomas University Students’ Union (STUSU), the City of Fredericton’s 2026 budget leaves post-secondary students on the sidelines. The municipal budget, approved earlier this month, prioritizes health-care infrastructure, K–12 education and long-term municipal services. While student leaders ack

Matt Dinan, a Great Books professor at St. Thomas University, presents a lecture on artificial intelligence and the future of liberal arts education as part of the STU Public Lecture Series on Jan. 14. (Brianna Lyttle/The AQ) With users increasingly leaning into AI for help and others frantically running in the opposite direction, the question remains: how will the future of higher education be implicated for St. Thomas University?  This is the question that Matt Dinan,  grea

First-year students Olivia Christie, left, and Erica Thistle, right, walk across campus. Both say the recent switch to Daylight Saving Time has affected their mood, sleep and motivation. (Credit: Brianna Lyttle/AQ) On Nov. 2, autumn Daylight Saving Time (DST) began, with citizens being asked to turn their clocks back an hour.  Sleep researchers have found negative effects from DST in terms of fatigue and motivation, with the Canadian Sleep Society recommending the abolishment

“Buy Canadian Instead” sign stands among liquor displays in a Vancouver store, part of a federal push to steer public spending toward domestic suppliers. (Credit: Canadian Press) Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 2025 budget announcement in Fredericton last week introduced a major shift in federal spending, with new measures aimed at making Canada its own best customer. The budget includes $186 million to implement a Buy Canadian policy across federal departments and $79.9 million

Political labels such as “socialist” and “fascist” are seen as divisive among students, but they also fuel political debate on campus. (Credit: Jennifer William/AQ) Buzzwords like “socialist,” “fascist,” and “woke” dominate political discourse, but experts say young voters are often misled by labels that don’t reflect policy.  At St. Thomas University, students and faculty stress that extreme political rhetoric frequently obscures the real issues. “‘Socialist’ is basically a

Sochane Campbell, vice president of student life, helped organize the Jamaican Cookout fundraiser (Jennifer Williams/AQ) When Hurricane Melissa hit the Caribbean on Oct. 28, international students at St. Thomas University faced not only concern for their loved ones but also the challenges of coping far from home.  The community quickly mobilized to provide emotional and practical support. Bernie Delgado, a third-year student and campus ministry assistant, organized prayer sp

Global leaders support ceasefire negotiations for the war in Gaza. (Credit: Arab News) As new ceasefire negotiations move forward, Hamas says its fighters in the southern Gaza city of Rafah will not lay down their weapons, signalling the group’s intent to maintain bargaining power, even as humanitarian conditions worsen and international pressure for a truce grows. “The enemy must know that the concept of surrender and handing oneself over does not exist in the dictionary of

Western leaders call for an immediate halt to the war in Ukraine, even if this might benefit Russia. (Credit: Financial Times) Western leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, have endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for an immediate halt to fighting in Ukraine, signalling a renewed push toward negotiations with Russia. The joint statement, released Oct. 25 from Ottawa, said that the “current line of contact”

STU students hold signs in support of the environment and the Fredericton community in front of George Martin Hall. ( Jennifer William/AQ) Students at St. Thomas University gathered outside George Martin Hall on Oct. 29 to protest the arrival of Starbucks on campus, saying the multinational chain goes against the university’s values of sustainability and local support. The protest was part of a broader climate action campaign titled "Now or Never, " organized by STU Sustaina

Barbara Marshall, emeritus professor of sociology at Trent University, delivered the Dr. T. LeRoy Creamer Memorial Lecture. (Credit: Gisele Gallibois) Students, faculty, staff and members of the Fredericton community gathered at the Kinsella Auditorium on Oct. 28 for the annual Dr. T. LeRoy Creamer Memorial Lecture. The lecture was presented by Barbara Marshall, emeritus professor of sociology at Trent University, and it was organized by Janet Durkee-Lloyd, acting chair of St

Thousands of people gather along the banks of the St. John River in Fredericton for Canada Day fireworks. (Submitted by: City of Fredericton) The City of Fredericton is considering replacing traditional fireworks with drone light shows — a move praised for its environmental benefits but questioned for its cost and emotional impact. At a recent Economic Prosperity and Growth Planning Committee meeting, councillors heard that drone shows could offer a quieter, more sustainable

The most recent truck crash on the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge occurred on Friday, Oct. 17. (Photo Credit: CBC Fredericton) The Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge on Waterloo Row has seen a series of transport trucks get stuck under the overpass due to wrongfully estimating the maximum height. Two of these crashes occurred within the same week, leading to the situation becoming a Fredericton-wide joke that was capitalized on by businesses and social media influencers. Kane “Kaner” Fit

St. Thomas University has introduced a new major and honours program in Sustainability and Environmental Studies, evolving from the former Environment and Society program. (Credit: St. Thomas University Students' Union) St. Thomas University has launched a new major and honours in Sustainability and Environmental Studies, reflecting a growing need to prepare students for careers in environmental change and sustainable development. The program, formerly known as Environment an

Tim Hortons has announced a nationwide coffee price increase due to rising coffee bean costs and inflation. (Fernanda Sánchez/AQ) For the first time in nearly three years, the beloved Canadian coffee chain Tim Horton’s has announced a nationwide price increase of roughly 1.5 per cent, or 3 cents per cup.  The corporation cited inflation, more specifically the increase in pricing for coffee beans, as the reason in a statement to CTV News. MarketWatch.com has reported a pound

As Sustainability Month wraps up, students reflect on what they’ve learned and prepare to take that energy for the protest on October 29. ( Jennifer William/AQ) Hosted by STU Sustainability, St. Thomas University marked its first-ever Sustainability Month, led by Kamylle Bonenfant, a psychology and environmental studies student.  From upcycling workshops and community clean-ups to critter dipping at the Ferris Street Wetland, the month-long initiative encouraged students to l

(Credit: Patrick Chappatte, Internet and Censorship , published in the International Herald Tribune.) Telegram founder Pavel Durov marked his 40th birthday with a stark message for internet users worldwide: “The free internet is dying.”  His warning came just as the European Commission launched formal investigations into Meta and TikTok for allegedly breaching the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) — a sweeping law designed to regulate how large platforms handle data