Surveillance video shows the owner of a Montreal jewelry store trying to fight off robbers after they drove a vehicle into the building. The thieves made off with more than $600,000 in merchandise in the latest violent robbery to hit Ontario and Quebec.

BAN NAM KHEM, Thailand (AP) — The 20-year-old freshman student was still asleep that Sunday morning at the family’s house on the Andaman Sea coast of southern Thailand when her mom, sensing something wasn’t right, woke her up saying they needed to leave right away.

The day is forever seared in Neungduangjai Sritrakarn’s memory: Dec. 26, 2004, the day the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami struck across South and Southeast Asia, after a 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island.

It was one of modern history’s worst natural disasters.

Neungduangjai’s mom had noticed a strange pattern of whitecaps on the sea, just as a relative who returned from a fishing trip came by to warn them. They grabbed all the family members’ essential documents and hopped on motorbikes.

Within minutes, Neungduangjai, her mother, father, brother and sister were speeding away, trying to get as far as they could from their village of Ban Nam Khem. Looking back, Neungduangjai saw a surging wall of water, taller than her home, moving toward shore from far away.

She had never seen anything like it.

They got about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) away when the wall of water crashed into the shore of Phang Nga province and caught up with them, knocking them off their bikes. The water was dark, sweeping all kinds of objects, man-made and natural.

Nuengduangjai pulled herself to her feet but could barely stand in the moving mass — the water was almost up to her knees.

She didn’t know at the time that the tsunami had hit a dozen countries, leaving about 230,000 dead, around a third of them in Indonesia. Some 1.7 million people were displaced, mostly in the four worst-affected countries: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.

Along Thailand’s Andaman coast, at least 5,400 people were killed and some 3,000 remain missing to this day, according to the Thai government.

The shrimp farm where Neungduangjai’s family worked and lived was wiped out.

In its place today is a thriving bar and restaurant — the fruits of Neungduangjai’s rebuilding efforts — with a porch looking out to a beautiful sea view. A view she said wouldn’t be there if not for the tsunami that destroyed parts of the coast.

In Phang Nga, life has been rebuilt and the tourists are back — on the surface, all is fine.

Neungduangjai, who was home from her studies in Bangkok for the New Year break when the tsunami hit, said her immediate family survived but they lost five relatives, including her grandparents. One of her uncles was never found.

After a week of staying with relatives in nearby Ranong province, she went back. She remembers the stench of death and how she thought everything had been moved from its original place.

“There were bodies everywhere,” she said. “When I returned to the village, I couldn’t recognize a single thing. … Everything was different.”

Though tourists have little reason to notice them, reminders of the tragedy abound today in Phang Nga — signs showing an evacuation route, tsunami shelters near beach areas, several memorials and museums displaying wreckage and photos that tell the story of that day.

Sanya Kongma, the assistant to Ban Nam Khem’s village chief, said development has come a long way, and that the quality of life in the village is good compared to 20 years ago.

But the haunting memories and the trauma of what they lived through are very much present and fear is never far away, he said.

“Even now … if there’s an announcement from the government on TV, or whatever, that there’s an earthquake in Sumatra, everyone will be spooked,” he said.

About once a year, a siren blares off in a tsunami evacuation drill. But what is meant to reassure residents of their safety can cause some survivors to relive their pain.

Somneuk Chuaykerd lost one of her young sons to the tsunami while she was out at sea, fishing with her husband.

The 50-year-old still lives in the same spot, the sea right at her backyard. In evacuation drills, she has learned to keep an emergency tote bag with all important documents. The bag is in her bedroom, along with a photo of the little boy she lost.

But the siren freezes her up every time and sends her heartbeat racing. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to grab,” she says. “It’s so scary.”

But she has made peace with the tragedy and has no plans to move away.

“I live by the sea. This is my living. I don’t have anywhere else to go,” she said.

As for Nuengduangjai, for years after the tsunami, every time she looked at the sea she would get a panic attack. A roaring sound of waves haunted her in her sleep.

She chose to move back home after college and make a living right next to the sea. She is proud of her bar and restaurant.

“I’m still scared, but I have to live with it, because it’s my home,” she said. “Some people moved away, but I did not. I’m still here.”

Jintamas Saksornchai, The Associated Press

Two years ago, at 36, I faced a diagnosis I never imagined: bladder cancer. As someone who has lived a physically active and healthy lifestyle, the news came as a shock. I was a young man in Northern Ontario, working as an aircraft mechanic — a job I loved. Little did I know my occupation put me at a higher risk for this disease.

When I first noticed blood in my urine, I brushed it off. It didn’t hurt, so I told myself it was nothing. Months passed, and the symptoms didn’t go away. When I finally saw a doctor, the diagnosis was precise: a high-grade papillary carcinoma. Within 24 hours, I underwent surgery, followed by weeks of immunotherapy treatments.

Bladder cancer isn’t just a disease that affects older men, as it is often perceived. It is the fifth most common cancer in Canada and can strike anyone. 

While age is a risk factor, exposure to certain workplace chemicals — like those I encountered as a mechanic — is another. Awareness is critical because the earlier bladder cancer is caught, the better the prognosis. 

Unfortunately, many Canadians, like me, fail to recognize the signs. For me, it was discomfort in the pelvis and blood in the urine. Other warning signs include feeling the need to urinate often or urgently, lower back pain or pain in the pelvis, weight loss, loss of appetite and difficulty urinating.

The physical challenges of cancer are significant, but so are the emotional and social effects, especially around the holidays. I quickly learned that being treated as a person, not just a patient, makes a difference. Too often, well-meaning friends and family focus on the illness: “How are you feeling?”, “When’s your next appointment?”, “Are you experiencing side effects?” These questions come from a place of concern, but they can feel overwhelming.

I appreciated it when people warmly greeted me with phrases like, “It’s so nice to see you!”, “I’ve missed you!” — or anything not tied to my health. It allowed me to feel normal for a moment and reminded me I was more than my diagnosis. The best gift anyone gave me during those moments was the chance to step out of my reality and simply enjoy time with loved ones.

For families gathering this holiday season, I encourage caregivers and friends to foster a sense of normalcy. Avoid focusing solely on the illness. For parents, this can mean talking to children ahead of time, preparing them to understand that their loved one might not be able to do the things they used to, like playing hide and seek, wrestling, or going for family hikes. I have two nieces who struggled with this — they missed their uncle who used to play and run around with them. Helping children adjust their expectations can ease everyone’s stress and create a more positive atmosphere.

Following my diagnosis, I discovered a new sense of purpose through advocacy. I now volunteer with Bladder Cancer Canada, a national organization dedicated to supporting patients and raising awareness about bladder cancer. 

This holiday season, Bladder Cancer Canada is launching its campaign, “No one is alone on their bladder cancer journey,” which aims to highlight the unique challenges bladder cancer patients face, particularly during this time of year. As part of the campaign, the organization is encouraging donations to directly fund patient care and tailored support programs.

Bladder cancer is underfunded and under-discussed. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. We need better public education, more robust occupational health protections, and increased funding for research. And we need to eliminate the stigma and misconceptions surrounding this disease.

Bladder cancer doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone — young or old, active or not. I hope that by sharing my story others will recognize the signs, seek help early, and feel empowered to demand the care they deserve.

To learn more about Bladder Cancer Canada or to make a donation, visit bladdercancercanada.org.

The post What I learned from my battle with bladder cancer appeared first on CANADIAN AFFAIRS.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen was injured Sunday after being bucked off a horse and is expected to be hospitalized for several days.

Pillen, a first-term Republican, was with his family when he was thrown off a new horse and injured, according to the governor’s office. He was taken to a hospital in Columbus, Nebraska, and then transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

The governor’s office said Pillen is conscious and alert and has been in touch with his staff. He is expected to remain at the Omaha hospital for several days.

Pillen, 68, was elected governor in 2022. Before becoming governor, he worked as a veterinarian and owned a livestock operation.

The Associated Press

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Personnel from all four fire stations in the capital responded to an uptown business Sunday evening to battle the blaze in frigid temperatures.

Numerous Fredericton Fire Department vehicles were on the scene at the Pizza Hut location at the top of Smythe Street on Sunday night, and firefighters could be seen being elevated to fight the fire from above.

The business also boasts new signage indicating another chain - Osmow’s Shawarma - is setting up shop in the location.

Assistant deputy fire chief David McKinley told the Fredericton Independent on Sunday evening that the call came in at 7:19 p.m.

He said the fire was reported initially to be in the ductwork at the business.

“They are still on scene and so far, the damage has been contained to the ductwork,” McKinley wrote in an email at 8:15 p.m.

He noted that personnel and equipment from all four Fredericton fire stations responded to the blaze.

McKinley didn’t give any indication of injuries or what the extent of the damage might prove to be.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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Hundreds of hampers assembled by the Christmas Cheer Board of Winnipeg have not made their way to families in need, and with the countdown for Christmas entering its final days, the organization is hoping all perishable items can be donated.