While I generally respect The Wall Street Journal, every once in a while it sees fit to remind me that it is, in fact, owned by Rupert Murdoch. This time, it printed something dangerously close to anti-trans blood libel in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s shooting.
In its live-update blog yesterday, the Journal wrote, “Ammunition engraved with transgender and antifascist ideology was found inside the rifle authorities believe was used in Kirk’s shooting, according to an internal law enforcement bulletin and a source familiar with the investigation.” That language was echoed in social media posts.
The right wing, including sitting members of Con …
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-canadian-flag-waving-in-front-of-a-mountain-backdrop-illustrative.jpg?id=53778395&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=240%2C0%2C240%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Canada may be known for its warm hospitality and friendly vibes, but according to a <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-ranked-best-cities-in-the-world-cn-traveler-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new global ranking</a>, none of our cities are quite welcoming enough to scratch the top 10 friendliest in the world for 2024.</p><p>In this year's <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-ranked-best-countries-in-the-world-cn-traveler-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards</a>, not a single Canadian spot earned a place in the ranking of friendliest cities in the world — a stark contrast to last year, when Canadian cities absolutely dominated, snagging four spots in the top five. So, what changed?</p><p>"Last year, Canadian cities received the most votes, although 2024 saw the spotlight move across the border to the US, with New York, Chicago and Las Vegas all ranking in the top 10," <a href="https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/friendliest-cities-in-world-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Condé Nast Traveller says</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/the-most-friendly-cities-in-the-world-ranked-canada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In 2023</a>, Calgary took the top spot as the friendliest city in the whole world, with Edmonton and Victoria close on its tail in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. Meanwhile, Quebec City wasn't far behind in the #5 spot. But this year, Canadian cities were conspicuously absent from the list altogether.</p><p>Still, despite Canada's absence from the city rankings, the country itself made it to number five on the list of the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-ranked-friendliest-countries-to-visit-cn-traveller-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world's friendliest countries for 2024</a> — proving that the nation's reputation for kindness and warmth is alive and well, even if our cities don't get the same love.</p><p><span></span>The Readers' Choice Awards rely on votes from "thousands" of travellers from the U.K., focusing on how welcome they felt in each destination. Readers consider everything from how easy it was to get around to how helpful the locals were and what the vibes were like in each city, according to the outlet.</p><p>So, who beat us? Here's the full list of the friendliest cities in the world for 2024:</p><ol><li>Singapore</li><li>Sydney, Australia</li><li>Las Vegas, USA</li><li>Bangkok, Thailand</li><li>Cape Town, South Africa</li><li>Tokyo, Japan</li><li>Marrakech, Morocco</li><li>Hong Kong</li><li>Chicago, USA</li><li>New York, USA</li></ol><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em><br/></p><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" rel="noopener">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p>
