Silvio Berlusconi, the boastful billionaire media mogul who was Italy's longest-serving prime minister despite scandals over his sex-fuelled parties and allegations of corruption, has died at the age of 86.
Italian news agency LaPresse reported Berlusconi's death after he was hospitalised on Friday for the second time in months for treatment of chronic leukaemia.
Berlusconi was hospitalised in Milan on April 5 with a lung infection stemming from the disease, according to his personal physician Dr Alberto Zangrillo.
He also suffered over the years from heart ailments, prostate cancer and was hospitalised for COVID-19 in 2020.
A onetime cruise ship crooner, Berlusconi used his television networks and immense wealth to launch his long political career, inspiring both loyalty and loathing.
To admirers, the three-time premier was a capable and charismatic statesman who sought to elevate Italy on the world stage.
To critics, he was a populist who threatened to undermine democracy by wielding political power as a tool to enrich himself and his businesses.
His Forza Italia political party was a coalition partner with current Premier Giorgia Meloni, a far-right leader who came to power last year, although he held no position in the government.
His friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin put him at odds with Meloni, a staunch supporter of Ukraine.
On his 86th birthday, while the war raged, Putin sent Berlusconi best wishes and vodka, and the Italian boasted he returned the favour by sending back Italian wine.
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<p>President Tinubu explained that Nigeria is exploring diplomatic options to avoid bloodshed in neighbouring Niger Republic.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.arise.tv/after-long-legal-process-france-returns-150m-abacha-loot-to-nigeria/">After Long Legal Process, France Returns $150m Abacha Loot To Nigeria</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.arise.tv">Arise News</a>.</p>
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/row-houses-with-colorful-facades-in-the-plateau-neighborhood-in-winter.jpg?id=56495212&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=132%2C0%2C132%2C0"/><br/><br/><p> With February in full swing, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-rent-new-campaign" target="_blank">Montreal tenants</a> might notice a slight dip — not just in temperatures outside, but in the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/montreal-rent" target="_blank">city's rent prices</a> too.
</p><p> According to <a href="https://www.zumperrentals.com/blog/rental-price-data-canada/" target="_blank">Zumper's latest Canadian Rent Report</a>, Montreal has fallen slightly on the list of most expensive cities to rent in Canada. We're now sandwiched between London, ON and Calgary, AB for one-bedroom prices.
</p><p> Although our costs still saw a small uptick on the year (while <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-how-much-buy-home" target="_blank">home prices</a> skyrocketed), Montreal's average one-bedroom rent dipped slightly from $1,750 in January to $1,710 this month, reflecting a modest decline of 2.3%. The city's drop in position was thanks to Halifax's recent price surge and Kingston's jaw-dropping climb.
</p><p> Meanwhile, Vancouver and Toronto's prices remain sky-high despite both cities recording substantial declines since last year.
</p><p> Here's the latest breakdown of the top 13 cities with the priciest one-bedroom rents in the country:
</p><h2>One-bedroom rent in Canada (Feb 2025)</h2><ol>
<li>Vancouver, BC – $2,550 (-5.6% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Burnaby, BC – $2,400 (-1.6% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Toronto, ON – $2,300 (-6.1% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Victoria, BC – $2,030 (-0.5% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Halifax, NS – $2,010 (-1.5% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Ottawa, ON – $1,990 (+2.6% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Barrie, ON – $1,960 (+10.1% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Kelowna, BC – $1,910 (-0.5% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Kitchener, ON – $1,790 (-5.8% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Oshawa, ON – $1,790 (-3.8% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Kingston, ON – $1,750 (-3.3% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Montreal, QC – $1,710 (+0.6% Y/Y)</li>
<li>London, ON – $1,710 (-0.6% Y/Y)</li>
</ol><p> On the other hand, two-bedroom units in Montreal dropped 1.3% to $2,220, which is $50 cheaper than <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-rent-increase-2025" target="_blank">last month</a>. Despite the drop, Montreal still holds 7th place for the priciest two-bedroom rents across Canada with a 2.8% increase year over year.
</p><h2>Two-bedroom rent in Canada (Feb 2025)</h2><ol>
<li>Vancouver, BC – $3,460 (-8.9% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Toronto, ON – $3,010 (-5.9% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Burnaby, BC – $3,000 (-3.5% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Victoria, BC – $2,710 (+1.5% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Halifax, NS – $2,400 (-7.7% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Ottawa, ON – $2,400 (0.0% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Kelowna, BC – $2,320 (+1.3% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Montreal, QC – $2,220 (+2.8% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Oshawa, ON – $2,160 (-1.4% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Barrie, ON – $2,130 (-2.7% Y/Y)</li>
<li>London, ON – $2,060 (-1.9% Y/Y)</li>
<li>Kingston, ON – $1,950 (-8.5% Y/Y)</li>
</ol><p><span></span>The Zumper Canadian Rent Report looks at data from thousands of rental listings across the country each month to calculate the average rent for the 23 biggest metro areas in order to give a clear picture of the current rental market You can explore their full February report <a href="https://www.zumperrentals.com/blog/rental-price-data-canada/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em><p> <br/></p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em>
If you pick through Donald Trump’s parade of executive orders upon taking office on January 20, you’ll discover many that revoke orders made by Joe Biden. But in one, Trump dug even further back: He revoked an executive order issued by Jimmy Carter in 1977, nearly half a century ago. Carter’s order gave the Council […]
