ADELAIDE, Australia — The South Australian Film Corporation is calling on local filmmakers to apply for subsidized passes to the Australian International Movie Convention, the country’s largest annual gathering of cinema exhibitors, distributors and technology suppliers, set to take place on the Gold Coast next month.

The state screen agency announced this week that it is offering four full convention passes, each valued at $1,440, to South Australian filmmakers who want to attend the event and connect with industry leaders from across the cinema sector. Applications opened this week and close at 9 a.m. on Sept. 28, with successful applicants to be notified in the days that follow.

The convention, known as AIMC, will run from Oct. 26 to Oct. 29 at The Star Gold Coast in Queensland. Now in its 79th edition, the event bills itself as the premier cinema industry gathering in the Southern Hemisphere and draws delegates from Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the United States and Europe. Organizers describe it as the only event on the Australian film calendar that brings exhibitors, distributors, filmmakers and cinema equipment suppliers together under one roof.

This year’s convention is powered by Vista Group, a New Zealand-based cinema technology company, and is being run by the Cinema Association Australasia. Attendees are expected to include representatives from major Hollywood studios as well as independent distributors, continuing a format that in recent years has featured presentations from companies including The Walt Disney Studios, Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal Pictures and Australian distributors such as Roadshow Films and Rialto Distribution.

The South Australian Film Corporation said the passes are intended to give homegrown filmmakers access to exclusive distributor presentations, advance screenings of upcoming releases and sessions on market trends and technology shaping the future of cinema exhibition. The agency framed the opportunity as a chance for South Australian screen practitioners to build relationships with international counterparts and stay abreast of shifts in an industry still adjusting to changes in theatrical distribution and audience habits since the pandemic.

A central part of this year’s program is the Screen Australia Masterclass, scheduled for Oct. 26, the convention’s opening day. The session is aimed at mid-career and senior Australian filmmakers and is designed to bring together industry members focused on producing commercially successful Australian films. Previous editions of the masterclass have featured presentations from exhibitors, distributors, filmmakers, marketers, publicists and screen agency executives, according to organizers.

To qualify for one of the four subsidized passes, applicants must be South Australian residents who meet credit eligibility requirements set out in the film corporation’s terms of trade. They must also demonstrate a genuine track record in feature filmmaking, commit to traveling to the Gold Coast for the full four days of the convention, and be available to attend the Screen Australia Masterclass on the opening day. The film corporation said it will not be able to cover costs associated with travel or accommodation, meaning recipients will need to fund those expenses independently even if their convention registration is covered.

Applicants are required to submit an expression of interest through the film corporation’s online grant portal. Submissions will be evaluated based on the strength of the application, the applicant’s suitability for the opportunity and the outcomes they intend to achieve by attending. With the passes limited to four recipients, the process is expected to be competitive among the state’s pool of established feature filmmakers.

The Australian International Movie Convention has grown over nearly eight decades into a fixture of the country’s exhibition and distribution calendar. Last year’s 78th edition, also held at The Star Gold Coast, featured 13 distributor presentations, 11 keynote sessions with nine international speakers, three panel discussions involving a dozen industry experts, five award presentations and five film screenings, along with several networking events including a studio-hosted welcome party and an industry breakfast focused on social media marketing trends. Organizers said the event also included a session hosted by Screen Queensland to connect delegates with the state’s local screen sector.

International participation has become an increasingly prominent feature of the event. Representatives from the International Union of Cinemas, a Brussels-based organization representing cinema operators across Europe, attended the convention and delivered a keynote focused on European cinema trends, alongside a panel discussion on global and local opportunities within the exhibition sector. The presence of overseas trade bodies at the convention reflects organizers’ efforts to position AIMC as a venue not just for the domestic industry but for international dialogue on cinema-going trends, an area of particular focus as exhibitors worldwide continue working to rebuild audience numbers.

Other Australian states have offered similar funding support for filmmakers to attend the convention. Screen Queensland, the state’s screen agency, has in past years offered practitioners the chance to apply for market and travel grants to attend AIMC, citing the event’s value in allowing delegates to preview upcoming theatrical releases and engage directly with technology and cinema fit-out suppliers.

The South Australian Film Corporation’s latest funding call comes as the state continues to position itself as a hub for local production, alongside its broader support programs, first-nations screen strategy and diversity initiatives. Adelaide Studios, which the corporation operates, has become a base for productions in the state, and agency officials have regularly pointed to opportunities such as the AIMC passes as part of efforts to help local filmmakers build networks beyond South Australia.

Filmmakers interested in applying for one of the four passes have just under two weeks to submit their expressions of interest before the Sept. 28 deadline. More information about the convention program, including registration details for delegates not applying through the subsidized pass scheme, is available through the Cinema Association Australasia’s convention website.

The broadcaster will leave the organisation behind the Bristol concert hall at the end of January

Bristol Beacon, the music charity and concert hall, has named its new chair. Sandeep Katwala will take up the role in February next year, succeeding television presenter and broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, who steps down after completing a four-year term.

Mr Katawala, who lives in Bristol, has a background in finance and law, having spent 25 years with Linklaters, a global law firm. He has also held several senior governance roles in the not-for-profit sector including at Depaul UK, which supports young homeless people; Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital Charity; London-based housing association Octavia Group; and Bail for Immigration Detainees.

He joined the board of Bristol Music Trust, the music charity which operates Bristol Beacon and all of its programmes, in May 2024.

“We are at an exciting stage in the evolution of Bristol Beacon, both in terms of the venue and the wider work we do in the community,” said Mr Katawala. “It is a difficult environment for music venues and charities more generally but I know from my time on the board that we have a fantastic team who can meet these challenges.

“Jonathan has ensured the creation of a very solid foundation since the reopening of the Beacon and will be a very hard act to follow, but I will do my best to play my part in supporting the team as it delivers on our ambitious new strategy. I am passionate about the importance of music in the wider community and the need to support music education for all.”

Mr Dimbleby has chaired Bristol Beacon since 2023, leading the organisation through its reopening following a multimillion-pound transformation, and the establishment of a new operating model.

“It has been a real privilege to have played a part in the new era of Bristol Beacon,” he said. “I have worked with a brilliant board and an outstanding executive and it could not have been a more rewarding experience. In Sandeep Katwala, my colleagues have chosen the ideal person to lead the Beacon onwards and upwards.

“For my part, I am delighted to be asked to become patron of the Bristol Beacon Orchestral Season in which role I will champion a cause which is at the heart of music making. I look forward to staying closely involved with this great Bristol charity in the years ahead.”

Bristol Beacon runs an artistic programme of more than 500 gigs and concerts a year, alongside education and community work including a £1.1m social impact programme.

Earlier this year, the organisation launched an ambitious five-year strategy, setting a vision through to 2031. Under the proposals, Bristol Beacon said it wanted to “deepen its impact” as one of Britain’s top music charities by combining live performances with music education and talent development work.

Simon Wales, chief executive of Bristol Beacon, added: “Jonathan has provided outstanding leadership during a defining chapter in Bristol Beacon’s history. His wisdom, integrity and unwavering belief in the organisation have helped us navigate the opportunities and challenges of reopening, while building a strong foundation for our future. The staff and board sincerely thank Jonathan for his exceptional service.

“We’re equally delighted to welcome Sandeep as our next chair. His strategic insight, commitment to inclusion and passion for the role culture can play in people’s lives make him an outstanding person to lead our board as we enter the next phase of delivering our vision.”

It is filed under the same mental folder as reading glasses and afternoon naps, or as a problem for later. The data tells a more uncomfortable story. For a lot of us, the first twinge arrives decades earlier than we expect, often before we have given our joints a second thought.

The Average Brit Notices Joint Pain At 38

In a survey of 2,000 UK adults, researchers found that the average person starts to experience aches and pains at just 38 years old, and in some cases as early as the early 20s.

Roughly three-quarters of respondents (74%) said they regularly experience musculoskeletal pain or discomfort, and two-thirds (66%) said it affects their everyday life. Even among 18- to 24-year-olds, a quarter reported struggling with upper back pain.

Wider figures back up the picture. In the 2024 Health Survey for England, 26 percent of adults reported chronic pain, with prevalence climbing steadily with age, from 12 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds to 40 per cent of those aged 75 and over.

Separate research into joint issues specifically found that around 1 in 8 UK adults are dealing with a joint-related problem at any given time, with stiffness in the back and hips among the most common early complaints.

Why It Starts Sooner Than You Think

There is no fixed switch that flips joint pain on at a certain birthday. What tends to happen is quieter and more gradual. From our 30s and 40s, the cumulative wear on cartilage, tendons and the tissues around our joints begins to build up. Add in desk-based work, high-impact hobbies, old sports injuries and the natural dip in activity that comes with a busy life, and the joints simply start to make themselves known.

That is why the figure of 38 matters. It is not the age at which joints suddenly fail; it is the age when many people first pay attention. The stiff knee after a long drive, the achy wrists in the morning, the hip that grumbles on the stairs. These early signals are easy to shrug off, which is precisely why they often go unmanaged for years.

Women Feel It Differently

The data also shows a clear gender pattern. Chronic pain affects 29% of women and 22% of men, and women report arthritis almost twice as often as men. Hip stiffness, in particular, occurs more frequently among women. It is a reminder that joint comfort is not a niche concern for older men; it affects a broad segment of the adult population, earlier and more often than the stereotype suggests.

The Good News: Joints Respond To Care

Noticing joint niggles in your 30s or 40s is not a sentence; it is a prompt. Staying active, maintaining a healthy weight, strengthening the muscles around the joints, and providing them with the right nutritional support can all help you keep moving comfortably for longer. The worst response to early joint pain is to stop moving altogether, which tends to worsen stiffness.

This is the thinking behind FLEX+, Kollo’s dual capsule joint support supplement. It pairs two clinically studied joint actives, AprèsFlex Boswellia serrata and Univestin, with black seed oil and bone-supporting vitamins D3 and K2.

In published studies of the AprèsFlex extract, improvements in joint comfort were seen from around day 5, building over the following weeks and months, while Univestin has been studied for noticeable comfort and flexibility within the first days of use. Most people are encouraged to take it consistently for a full 8 to 12 weeks as part of a daily routine.

Whether you are chasing a personal best or simply want the stairs to feel easier, the takeaway from the data is the same. Joint pain is not a problem reserved for later life, and the earlier you start looking after your joints, the more mobility you are likely to keep.

The markup is built into the quoted exchange rate rather than listed as a separate fee, which makes it easy to overlook. On a $500 CAD transfer to India, a 3% markup reduces what the recipient gets by about ₹1,033.

In this guide, we’ll look into:

• How the markup differs from a flat transfer fee
• What a monthly sender loses over 12 transfers at different margin levels
• Why a transfer advertised as “zero fee” can still carry high cost
• How to compare providers by total cost, not the fee line alone

How exchange rate markups work

Every currency pair has a mid-market rate (the midpoint between global buy and sell prices, published by sources like XE and Google).

When you send money through a bank or transfer service, the rate applied to your transaction often differs from that midpoint. The percentage difference is the exchange rate margin.

The World Bank’s Remittance Prices Worldwide project defines total transfer cost as the sender’s fee plus the exchange rate margin. In Q1 2025, the bank provider-category average was 14.55% on a $200-equivalent transfer.

The Digital-only MTO Index (covering five specified digital-first services including Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit, InstaReM, and Xoom) was 3.55%.

Both figures include fees and margin combined. The World Bank’s Q1 2025 report notes that fees account for a large portion of remittance-service costs, so the gap between banks and digital providers is not explained by exchange rate margins alone.

Still, the margin is the component most likely to go unnoticed because it is embedded in the rate rather than itemized on the receipt.

What $500 a month costs over a year

The numbers below use a mid-market CAD/INR rate of approximately ₹68.88 as of late August 2026, with 3% and 0.5% treated as illustrative markup levels rather than established market ranges.

A sender transferring $500 CAD monthly faces these outcomes depending on the exchange rate margin alone.

The exact annual difference between 3% and 0.5% is ₹10,332, or CAD $150 in FX cost, calculated as $500 × 2.5% × 12. Flat transfer fees (which run $30-50 for a major Canadian bank wire) sit on top of that.

For context, the World Bank’s Q1 2025 data puts the global average total cost at 6.49% for a $200 transfer and 4.26% for a $500 transfer.

South Asia was the lowest-cost receiving region at 4.80% on the $200 measure, compared with 8.78% for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Since we’re modeling $500 transfers, the 4.26% global benchmark is the more relevant comparison.

Why the markup is easy to miss

The exchange rate margin is embedded in the quoted rate rather than itemized as a separate charge. Three overlapping factors make it particularly hard for senders to spot.

Zero-fee illusion

A provider advertising no transfer fee may still apply a wide exchange rate margin. A $0 fee with a 3% margin on $500 costs about $15 in FX alone.

A $4 fee with a 0.5% margin costs $6.50 total. The “free” option is more than twice as expensive, and the fee line on the receipt won’t explain why.

Bundled disclosure

Wire transfer confirmations from some Canadian banks display the converted amount but may not show the exchange rate used alongside the mid-market benchmark.

Without both rates visible, a sender has no quick way to gauge the spread.

The World Bank has flagged exchange rate margin disclosure as a persistent transparency issue in international transfers.

Comparison difficulty

Determining the markup requires checking the mid-market rate at the time of conversion on an independent source, then calculating the percentage gap.

Few senders do this on a routine $500 remittance, which means the margin rarely enters the comparison at all.

How to compare before sending

Comparing providers on total cost (not just the fee line) takes one extra step but changes the outcome materially. A few things to check before confirming a transfer.

• Look up the live mid-market CAD/INR rate on an independent source like XE or Google Finance
• Compare it to the rate your provider quotes — the percentage gap is the margin
• Estimate the FX cost in rupees by multiplying the CAD amount by the mid-market INR/CAD rate and then by the markup percentage
• Add any transfer fee, expressed in the same currency or as a percentage, to get the total cost

For monthly senders to India, RemitBee’s money transfer service displays both the applied rate and the recipient amount before the transfer is confirmed, making the comparison straightforward.

The published margin for the India corridor runs between 0.3% and 0.8%, with no transfer fee on amounts of $500 CAD or more when funded by e-transfer, EFT, or bill payment.

The ending note

The Canada-to-India corridor has substantial provider competition, with South Asia recording the lowest average receiving-region cost in the World Bank’s Q1 2025 data.

A secure international money transfer provider with a sub-1% total cost sits well below the 4.26% global average for $500 transfers, while a bank wire with a wide margin and a $30-50 fee can push the total cost above 8% on the same amount.

The annual FX-cost difference between a 3% and a 0.5% margin on $500 monthly transfers is CAD $150, equivalent to ₹10,332 at the reference rate.

The markup applies to every single transfer. Whether a sender notices it depends on whether they check the rate or just the fee.

Deciding whether you are too sick to work is not always straightforward.

For physical illness, Tang says there are some well-established rules of thumb.

“If you’re vomiting and have diarrhoea or have a fever, you should stay at home for 48 hours and 24 hours respectively after the symptoms have passed. In those situations, you’re unlikely to be able to work effectively anyway.”

Beyond that, the decision becomes more nuanced, according to Tang.

“Where there is more of a grey area is with coughs and colds. Since Covid, workplace etiquette has changed – generally it’s considered polite to work from home.”

But she says an absolute must is that mental health should be treated no differently than physical health.

“If you’re sick and unable to work, you’re sick and unable to work.”

Quinn-Cirillo adds: “Ultimately it’s about capacity to do a job, whether it be physical or mental health.”

A further warning sign is when work starts affecting basic self-care, she says.

“Is your ability to look after yourself changing? Are you able to decompress from work? Is your sleep OK?”

If the answer is no, it may be a sign that rest is exactly what is needed.

OpenAI made headlines in July when it revealed that some of its most advanced AI models went rogue and hacked Hugging Face, one of the world’s largest hubs for sharing AI models, after it lost control of them during a security test.

Hugging Face co-founder Thomas Wolf said at the time that the incident was “a wake-up call” for the industry.

Since then, the debate over AI safety concerns has escalated with AI researchers, technology industry executives and politicians weighing in.

Last week, Jacob Coxon, a researcher who left OpenAI rival Anthropic over concerns the tech could wipe out humanity, wrote about his resignation in a post that cited the dangers of AI and later went viral against the backdrop of growing safety concerns.

In response, Anthropic scientist Evan Hubinger said he thought the possibility of AI causing human extinction “within the next decade” was more than 10%.

Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark later told the BBC that a “kill switch” controlled by a third party may need to be mandatory for the industry.

Meanwhile, Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei called for the pace of AI development to slow and be more closely monitored, as the company has done before, though some have questioned the motivations behind this.

Amodei also said that any action to rein in AI should be done “without sacrificing commercial advantage”.

But US President Donald Trump has said fears about the safety of AI are a “hoax” and criticised calls to have more guardrails in place for the fast-moving technology.

In a series of social media posts, the US president compared warnings about AI to the “Global Warming Scam” which, he said, was “being perpetrated by the Radical Left Dumocrats”.

Trump also called himself “the Hoax Buster”, likening concerns about the safety of the technology to what he called “the RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA HOAX”.

The only “guardrails” needed for AI was a “strong and smart” president, said Trump.

SYDNEY — A new class of crop-protection sprays that work by silencing genes inside pests and pathogens could reshape Australia’s $50 billion-a-year cropping industry, according to researchers who say the technology’s success will hinge as much on public trust and regulation as on the underlying science.

An international review published this week in the journal Nature Plants examined the state of RNA interference, or RNAi, based biopesticides, a technology that uses naturally occurring biological processes to switch off genes essential to the survival of insects, weeds and plant pathogens. Unlike genetically modified crops, the approach does not alter a plant’s genetic makeup. Instead, RNA molecules are typically applied as a spray, disrupting the genetic machinery of a target pest without introducing new genes into the crop itself.

The review, titled “Advancing Adoption of RNAi-based Biopesticides,” was led by researchers at Charles Sturt University in collaboration with the University of Queensland, Curtin University, the University of California, Riverside, and GreenLight Biosciences, a U.S. biotechnology company. Its authors argue that the scientific case for the technology is increasingly well established, but that regulatory frameworks and public confidence remain the biggest obstacles to widespread use on farms.

Stephen Fletcher, the review’s lead author and a researcher at Charles Sturt University, said the precision with which RNA molecules can be engineered is what sets the technology apart from conventional chemical pesticides.

“Carefully designed RNA molecules that can switch off essential genes in a target pest or pathogen while minimising effects on other organisms are central to using RNA sprays for crop protection,” Fletcher said.

“Their precise nature offers a potential biosolution at a time when growers are facing increasing challenges with chemical pesticides from pesticide resistance, environmental concerns and tighter regulations on synthetic chemicals,” he said.

Growers around the world have grappled for years with pests developing resistance to widely used synthetic chemicals, alongside mounting environmental concerns and governments moving to restrict certain classes of pesticides. Proponents of RNAi technology say its ability to target specific pests, while largely sparing beneficial insects and other organisms, could offer a way around some of those pressures.

The technology has already cleared a significant commercial hurdle. According to the review, the first RNAi-based products have now been registered for use against the Colorado potato beetle, a major pest of potato crops, and the varroa mite, a parasite blamed for widespread losses among honeybee colonies globally. Researchers say that milestone marks a shift in the conversation around the technology, moving the debate beyond whether RNAi-based sprays are effective and toward the more practical question of how they can be adopted at scale on farms worldwide.

The review credits several recent scientific advances with pushing the technology closer to broader use, including improvements in bioinformatics that help researchers design more targeted RNA sequences, refinements in RNA molecule design itself, and new delivery systems intended to protect RNA molecules from degrading before they can take effect in field conditions. Field stability has been one of the technology’s persistent challenges, since RNA molecules can break down quickly once sprayed, reducing their effectiveness against pests.

Even as the science advances, the review’s authors caution that commercial success will not be guaranteed by laboratory results alone. Neena Mitter, a professor who has spent more than a decade researching RNA-based biopesticide technologies, said building public confidence in the approach will be just as critical as refining the underlying science.

“Consumers increasingly want sustainable agricultural solutions but public acceptance cannot be assumed,” Mitter said.

“The pathway from discovery to adoption must be built on transparent evidence, clear regulatory oversight, industry engagement and trusted communication about safety and environmental benefits,” she said.

Cost has historically been one of the barriers limiting the technology’s rollout, but the review notes that production costs for RNAi-based biopesticides have fallen sharply in recent years, making the sprays more commercially viable than they were even a few years ago. Regulatory hurdles, however, remain a significant challenge. The review points to inconsistent approval systems across different countries, which it says can make the process of bringing new RNAi-based products to market both difficult and expensive for companies attempting to operate internationally.

That regulatory patchwork means a product cleared for use in one country may face a lengthy or uncertain approval process elsewhere, complicating efforts by companies to scale up production and distribution. Researchers involved in the review argue that harmonizing regulatory approaches, or at least making them more predictable, would help accelerate adoption without compromising safety oversight.

The review concludes that RNAi-based biopesticides are positioned to become a meaningful part of sustainable crop protection strategies going forward, but only if scientific progress is matched on several fronts simultaneously: reliable performance once products are out in the field, readiness for commercial-scale manufacturing, effective and consistent regulation, and what the authors describe as a strong “social license to operate” — a level of public and industry acceptance that allows the technology to be used without significant opposition or restriction.

For Australia, where the cropping sector generates an estimated $50 billion annually and growers face many of the same pressures cited in the review — pesticide resistance, environmental scrutiny and tightening rules on synthetic chemical use — the technology’s advocates see significant potential upside. Whether that potential is realized, according to the researchers behind the review, will depend less on further breakthroughs in the laboratory and more on the regulatory and public-facing work still ahead.

Her professional experience has given her a close view of how relationships, communication, and personal circumstances can shape the way people move through everyday life.

While her work is part of her story, MacIntyre’s broader outlook extends well beyond psychiatry. She places a strong value on listening, treating people with respect, and taking the time to understand the circumstances behind a person’s perspective.

“The relationships with people and the community are something I value very highly,” MacIntyre says.

That focus on connection has influenced the way she approaches both professional and personal relationships. For MacIntyre, understanding people starts with recognising that everyone brings a different history, set of responsibilities, and point of view to the table.

Why Listening Can Make a Difference

Listening sounds simple, but Amy Mazza MacIntyre MD believes it is something people can easily overlook when life becomes busy.

Conversations often move quickly. People may be thinking about what they want to say next instead of fully hearing the person in front of them. Taking a little more time to listen can change the quality of an interaction, whether it happens between family members, friends, colleagues, or neighbours.

“I try to consider the whole story and situation,” she says.

That perspective has been shaped in part by her work, but MacIntyre believes it applies just as strongly outside of a professional setting. People rarely make decisions or respond to situations based on one factor alone. Their experiences, responsibilities, relationships, and current circumstances can all influence how they see the world.

Keeping that in mind can make it easier to approach others with patience rather than assumptions.

Building Stronger Connections in the Community

Community can mean different things to different people. It may be a neighbourhood, a school, a group of friends, a local organisation, or simply the people someone interacts with regularly.

For MacIntyre, strong communities are often built through small, repeated actions rather than large gestures. Showing up for others, communicating respectfully, and being willing to listen can create a sense of trust over time.

MacIntyre has spent many years living and working in the Bryn Mawr area, and those experiences have reinforced her appreciation for the relationships people build within their local communities.

A strong community does not require everyone to share the same background or point of view. In many cases, it is the ability to respect those differences that helps communities become stronger.

Why Understanding the Full Story Matters

One of the principles MacIntyre continues to value is the importance of context.

It can be easy to form an opinion about a person or situation based on limited information. However, what is visible from the outside rarely tells the complete story.

Someone may be managing family responsibilities, changes at work, personal challenges, or pressures that other people cannot see. Keeping that possibility in mind can encourage greater empathy in everyday interactions.

For MacIntyre, understanding context does not mean people must always agree. It simply means being willing to recognise that another person may have experiences or circumstances that influence the way they think and act.

This kind of awareness can be especially important in close communities, where people regularly encounter one another in different settings.

Consistency Matters More Than Grand Gestures

Another lesson MacIntyre has come to appreciate is the value of consistency.

Trust is usually not created by one conversation or one act of kindness. It develops over time through repeated experiences. People remember who follows through, who listens, and who treats them with respect.

That idea applies to friendships, families, neighbourhoods, and professional relationships alike.

MacIntyre believes consistency can also help people navigate periods of change. Communities constantly evolve as families move, careers change, children grow older, and new challenges emerge. Having dependable relationships can provide a sense of stability during those transitions.

It is one reason she places value on maintaining connections over time rather than treating relationships as temporary or transactional.

Making Space for Different Perspectives

Modern communities bring together people with a wide range of experiences, values, and opinions. MacIntyre sees value in being willing to hear perspectives that may differ from one’s own.

That does not mean every disagreement needs to be resolved. Sometimes the more realistic goal is simply to understand why another person sees an issue differently.

Listening with curiosity can help create more productive conversations and reduce the tendency to make immediate assumptions.

MacIntyre’s years of working closely with people have reinforced the idea that individuals are shaped by many different influences, including family, community, personal experiences, and the challenges they have encountered along the way.

Recognising that complexity can make conversations more thoughtful and relationships stronger.

A Thoughtful Approach to Everyday Life

Amy Mazza MacIntyre MD’s career as a psychiatrist has involved working closely with people and families, but many of the lessons she has taken from that experience are broader than any one profession.

She continues to place importance on connection, context, consistency, and community. For MacIntyre, meaningful relationships are often built through ordinary moments: listening without rushing, taking another person’s circumstances into account, following through on commitments, and treating people with respect.

These ideas can shape the way people interact with their families, friends, neighbours, colleagues, and communities every day.

For MacIntyre, being thoughtful about those interactions matters because strong communities are ultimately built one relationship at a time.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed the prospect of Canada becoming an associate member of the European Union as “laughable,” warning that the U.S. could impose heavy tariffs on Europe if he believed such a move was made with “bad intention.”

Trump was asked by reporters about the prospect of Canada becoming the EU’s first “associate member.”

“I think it’s laughable,” Trump responded. “If they do that, if I think it’s at all hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things.”

“If Europe does that with a bad intention – if it’s a good intention that’s fine – if it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe,” he added.

EU OPENS DOOR TO UNPRECEDENTED ‘ASSOCIATE MEMBER’ STATUS FOR CANADA AMID US TRADE SPAT

President Donald Trump attends the Amgen Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Ireland, Sept. 13, 2026. (REUTERS/Kylie Cooper / Reuters Photos)

Trump’s comments come amid a trade conflict between two of North America’s largest trading partners after U.S.-Canada trade talks collapsed last month, triggering a series of tit-for-tat tariff measures.

While speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump also described Canada as a “terrible trade partner.”

His comments came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed Wednesday that Canada become the first associate member of the European Union as the two sides pursue a deeper economic and security partnership.

Speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in attendance, von der Leyen said, “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU.”

TRUMP EXPANDS CANADA TRADE FIGHT WITH SWEEPING BAN ON CANADIAN IMPORTS

President Donald Trump greets Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney during a world leaders’ summit on ending the Gaza war on Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.  (Evan Vucci – Pool / Getty Images / Getty Images)

Von der Leyen said the two sides would move beyond their existing CETA trade agreement toward what she called an “Alliance for the Future,” aimed at creating a common prosperity and economic security space. The proposed partnership would include cooperation on manufacturing, technology, defense, energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and the Arctic.

The EU overture comes as Canada looks for new trading opportunities beyond its longtime economic relationship with the U.S.

Carney, who is scheduled to address the European Parliament on Thursday, has pledged to double Canada’s non-U.S. trade over the next decade while pursuing what he has called a “unique alliance” with the EU, rather than full membership.

Historically, the EU has balked at flexible alliances without a defined legal status, and any potential associate membership for Canada would ultimately be up to EU member states to decide.

BILLIONAIRE WARNS ‘EVIL EMPIRE’ WANTS TO ‘CRIPPLE TRUMP,’ CALLS OUT AMERICA’S NORTHERN NEIGHBOR

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech near Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney (2R) during her annual State of the Union address at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France on September (Jean-Christophe VERHAEGEN / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Trump’s remarks came the same day his administration escalated a separate trade dispute with Canada.

Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing federal officials to identify Canadian-origin products that could be removed or made unavailable for purchase through the federal civilian procurement system.

The White House accused Canada of imposing barriers that disadvantage American companies seeking Canadian government contracts while Canadian businesses retain access to portions of the U.S. federal procurement market. The memorandum specifically cited Canada’s “Buy Canadian” policy and restrictions imposed by Canadian provinces.

According to the White House, Canadian companies have access to more than $280 billion annually in U.S. federal procurement covered under the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement.

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President Donald Trump called the prospect of Canada becoming an associate member of the European Union “laughable” and warned of heavy tariffs if he believed the move was made with “bad intention.” (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images)

The Trump administration added that it would take action against what it described as “unreasonable,” “discriminatory” and “unfair” trade practices.

Fox Business’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

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