Pope Francis Calls for Easter Peace

During his Easter message, Pope Francis called for peace, urging those with weapons to lay them down and those with power to choose peace. The Pope delivered Easter greetings in ten languages, including Arabic and Chinese, and announced he will host a prayer vigil for peace next Saturday at the Basilica. The broadcast noted the Pope has been a vocal critic of the war in Iran.

Unique Tradition of Female Gondola Rowers in Venice

CBC News featured a report from Venice, Italy, highlighting the tradition of female gondola rowers. These women are passing down the skill of vogare, Venetian-style rowing, through generations. The technique is difficult to learn and traditionally kept secret, with experienced rowers teaching by demonstration. The rowers also fund competitions by offering lessons to tourists. According to one rower, preserving this knowledge is crucial to maintaining Venice’s unique identity, preventing it from becoming merely an amusement park.

Author Criticizes Big Tech's 'Shitification' of the Internet

Canadian author Cory Doctorow discussed his new book, Shitification, on CBC News, criticizing the evolution of big tech companies. Doctorow claims these companies initially focused on serving customers but shifted to prioritizing sponsors and ultimately themselves. He argues that current policy environments incentivize harmful practices, leading to intrusive tracking, skewed search results, and algorithmic clickbait.

Doctorow cited the example of the OG App, an alternative Instagram client that removed ads and suggestions, which was quickly removed from app stores after gaining popularity. He suggests changing copyright laws in Canada could allow for the creation of complementary products and potentially provide leverage in trade disputes, using the example of John Deere tractors and their restrictive software.

Doctorow expressed concern about the financial practices of major tech companies and warned of a potential market crash.

Hidden 15th-Century Letter Discovered in Toronto

Researchers at a Toronto university library have discovered a hidden letter dating back to the 15th century concealed within the spine of a book. The broadcast stated the letter is written in a language from that period and is linked to an influential French monarch. Experts believe the discovery could have implications for Canadian laws.