Violence on Toronto’s transit system has surged as a result of the pandemic, but the situation has begun to improve as rider numbers recover, with last year overall safer than 2020 and 2021, according to The Globe and Mail. Nearly 50,000 incidents have been recorded between 2002 and 2022. University of Toronto criminologist Jamie Duncan obtained the data via a request made under freedom of information laws. The statistics reveal rises in robberies, sexual assaults and weapon-related incidents, alongside the hike in assaults, but the number of less violent crimes of this type was lower than releases in earlier years.
Administrative errors led to at least 454 illegal detentions in Quebec's detention centres between 2012 and 2022, according to records obtained by The Globe and Mail in an access-to-information request. Individuals were imprisoned for sentences miscalculated by court clerks and correctional services, or for identification mistakes. The longest illegal detention in the documents was an 86-day stretch in Quebec City’s detention centre in 2015 caused by a mistake from correctional services. Illegally detained individuals can claim compensation for their losses. Fewer than 3% of incarcerated Inuit people in Quebec speak French, which may have hampered compensation due to the French-only claim form.
The cost of travel, even budget travel, has surged since the pandemic hit, according to an article in The Telegraph. Airlines, hotels, travel agents and restaurants are scrambling to recover lost revenue, which has pushed up the cost of flights and accommodation across Europe by 23% since 2021, according to Consumer Choice. The Post Office reported that 27 out of 35 cities are charging more for hotels, and car hire fees in seven out of nine popular holiday destinations now cost over £100 more than before the pandemic. However, demand is still high due to people having built up holiday savings during lockdown and the high cost of living lingering in many households. Ground travel, such as train travel, has seen only a 3% rise in prices since 2019 and is expected to become more popular, given the rising cost of flights.
Most UCP supporters in Alberta more moderate than party: Vote Compass
CBC
23-05-20 13:00
The United Conservative Party (UCP) is more conservative than the majority of its supporters, according to the results of voter engagement tool Vote Compass. Despite ongoing claims from both the UCP and its opposition, the NDP, that the key to Alberta’s forthcoming election lies in capturing centrist voters, the results suggest that both parties are more progressive than their actual policies imply. The tool, which analyzed the answers of thousands of Albertans to 30 policy questions on topics such drug decriminalization, and analyst interviews with the parties, put UCP members 0.24 points to the right of supporters. Meanwhile, the NDP was 0.31 points to the left of its supporters. Big tent parties traditionally aim to attract moderate voters, but the UCP and NDP appear to be neglecting their respective progressive and conservative bases in order to appeal to such voters. The Alberta provincial election is scheduled for May 29.
Over 2.8 million Australian over 65s have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past six months, making it increasingly likely that the country will face a shortage of booster coverage ahead of winter, warn experts. Though recommended by the country's vaccine advisory group ATAGI in February, uptake of booster doses have been slow among the elderly due to vaccine hesitancy, fatigue and a belief that they are no longer at risk. The slow uptake has alarmed experts, who are calling for a vaccine before winter arrives, while reminding citizens to get the flu shot too as flu is more likely to mutate than COVID-19.
Australian boys are falling behind girls in primary school literacy competency, with 77% of boys meeting national standards compared to 84% of girls, according to data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. Girls have outperformed boys in reading consistently since 1969. Potential explanations for the phenomenon include boys maturing more slowly than girls and spending more time on gaming or other screen time, as well as a move away from old-school phonics in reading instruction. Experts suggest that parental role-models and the use of systematic teaching methods may help to address the issue.
The attitude that UK citizens must all live their lives expressly to serve the National Health Service (NHS) is disturbing and sinister, according to an op-ed in The Telegraph. The article argues that citizens are increasingly evaluated in terms of whether they are convenient or costly for the NHS, rather than the health service being evaluated for wasting resources or courting inefficiency. This approach is backed up by policymaking, with the sugary drinks tax and proposed restrictions on junk food advertising both aimed at individuals rather than at radical changes to the NHS.
Detente seems to be in the air between China and America according to an opinion piece in Bloomberg. It describes several significant breakthroughs in meetings between Chinese and American officials, a far cry from the frosty silence of recent times. Perhaps most poignantly, President Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan recently gave a speech at The Brookings Institute where he appeared to be intent on making Cold War II less chilly. Moreover, the opinion piece argues that the Chinese economy may not live up to its great expectations, showing some signs of headwinds with China’s dire demographic prospects and over-leveraged and depressed real estate sector.
The Group of Seven (G7) nations has agreed to launch the Hiroshima AI process, an initiative that will address opportunities and challenges of generative artificial intelligence through improved collaboration among countries. A working group including other international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, will facilitate discussions and draft AI standards for “responsible AI”, according to a communique. A recent report by the OECD cited 92 measures related to data localisation enacted in 39 countries as of 2021, with tougher regulations increasingly implemented over the previous five years. The G7 is proposing ways to secure smooth cross-border data flows in a trustworthy manner.
Manchester City have won the Premier League for the fifth time in six years, cementing their position as the dominant force in English football. The club is also on track to win a treble if they can triumph in both the FA Cup and the Champions League next month. City’s imperious form raises questions, however, about the Premier League’s most important selling point: intense competition. Their success, which could lead to financial fairness measures, is viewed by some as a result of the leadership of Spanish manager Pep Guardiola.
Emergency medical services in Ontario are collapsing due to increasing ambulance shortages and a major staffing crisis, the Ontario Paramedic Association (OPA) has warned. "Code zero" incidents, in which no ambulance is available to respond to 911 calls, have risen amid a deepening healthcare crisis. Toronto reported 1,139 such incidents in 2021, Ottawa 750 by July 2022, and Waterloo Region 87 in 2022 – a fourfold increase on the previous year. Amid "terrible" working conditions many paramedics are getting injured, switching employers or even leaving the profession entirely.
On June 1, all major Canadian telecommunications companies must file reports on their accessibility efforts, following federal regulator CRTC's commitments to ensure wireless service accessibility for people with disabilities. In February, CRTC directed telecoms such as Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, Telus Communications and Videotron to offer accessible plans, including larger data packages and true unlimited data packages for deaf and hard of hearing subscribers who rely more on video communication. Currently, major carriers offer $20 monthly rebates on mass-market plans and company-specific add-ons like discounts, promotions on apps and zero-rate on data from video relay services. These communities said that accessible plans should be capped at $35 per month and contain unlimited data, voice calling and texting without overage fees, no throttling and zero-rating for video conferencing applications.
The regulator said the Canadian companies were falling short of meeting the needs of these communities, as the resources offered were not affordable to those on low incomes or receiving disability benefits. The regulator’s surveys had indicated that people with disabilities are best served when companies provided a choice of wireless plans and services to select the one that meets their needs. In 2019, there were 14,453 subscribers to accessible plans across all Canadian carriers, a figure which CRTC regarded as significantly lower than expected. Companies in this story include Rogers (TSX:RCI.B), BCE/Bell Canada (TSX:BCE), Telus Communications (TSX:T) and Quebecor/Videotron (TSX:QBR.B).
The chances of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates next month have fallen from 36% to 18.6%, and some experts believe the central bank won't raise rates again in June. Wall Street had been betting on the latter scenario, after the Fed meeting earlier this month created hopes that it was done with rate hikes, but a slate of strong economic data last week led to some nerves. Key data points set for release before the June 14 rate decision include the April Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, the May jobs report, the May Consumer Price Index and the May Producer Price Index.
The poor performance of JD.com and Alibaba gives little indication of any Chinese economic revival, despite one hedge fund expecting to benefit from China's consumer economy being at its nadir and tripling stakes in JD.com on that basis. The revenue of JD.com increased 1.4% for the March period and Alibaba's 2%, whereas the international games division recorded a far-stronger 10.7% increase while online advertising climbed 17%. While advertising is a leading indicator that statistical evidence of recovery may emerge, cutbacks in marketing expenditure are also expected.
Wall Street’s strong week ran out of steam on Friday as concerns over the US government’s ongoing efforts to avoid a default on its debt mounted. The S&P 500 lost 0.1%, the Dow Jones was down 0.3% while the Nasdaq fell 2%. Despite Friday’s blip, the S&P 500 gained 1.6%, breaking out of a pattern in which the index failed to rise or fall by 1% for six straight weeks. Optimism earlier in the week that Washington could avoid a crippling default helped the market. Concerns rose again on Friday after a leading negotiator for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested the talks aimed at averting a default be paused, causing the S&P 500 to slide from modest midday gains to modest losses. Investors also took comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to suggest his committee may leave interest rates unchanged next month.
China's local government debt has been making investors increasingly nervous and will be a potential drag on the economy for years to come. While the risk of default in municipalities in China is currently relatively low given Beijing’s implicit guarantee on the debt, the worry is that local governments may have to make painful spending cuts or divert money away from growth-boosting projects to continue to repay their debt. The city of Hegang was China's first to be forced to undergo financial restructuring, with more set to follow, making the situation for President Xi Jinping an ominous one. Xi is looking to double income levels by 2035 while reducing income inequality, which is a key factor for social stability and his aim to rule the Communist Party for potentially the next decade or more.
Majority of China’s regions have a debt-income ratio over 120%, with most provinces exceeding the threshold to represent “high debt risks.” China’s total government debt is estimated to be $23tn, a figure that includes the hidden borrowing of thousands of financing companies set up by provinces and cities. Hegang has debt of more than double its fiscal income and is suffering from leadership’s belt-tightening measures, including a lack of heating in freezing winter temperatures and the cutting of public-sector wages.
Without loan extensions, more than two-thirds of Chinese localities won’t be able to repay their debt on time. Cities like Liaoning and Inner Mongolia, with large amounts of bond interest payments that are close to breaching the threshold, need to tread carefully in addressing their debt. In trying to curtail the implications of China’s local government debt problem from spreading throughout the country, Beijing has sought to ease public concerns by saying local government finances are generally “stable.”
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has outlined recommendations for the Ontario government to ban gambling advertising during sports broadcasts, putting forward a "whistle-to-whistle" ban. CAMH argued in a submission that "children and youth, as well as those already experiencing gambling problems, are especially susceptible" to the marketing. It also highlighted that the ads normalise sports gambling and make it look fun but do not reveal that losing is the norm. Ontario placed CAD35.5bn ($28.8bn) in wagers across 76 websites during the first year of legalised online gambling, and betting companies earned CAD1.4bn in revenue.
Singapore may lose future demand in the data center industry to other regional economies unless it expands its capacity for new projects in an environmentally friendly way, warns a senior executive from state-backed conglomerate Keppel Corp. Last year, Singapore ended a three-year pause on new data center projects and invited applications to build new facilities with higher green standards. Singapore is currently one of the world's largest hubs for data centers.
Japan's core machinery orders fell for a second straight month in March, indicating caution among firms about capital spending due to concerns about the global economic slowdown. The weak reading in machinery orders may raise doubts about the pace of the Japanese economic recovery, despite the country emerging from recession in Q1 due to a post-COVID consumption rebound. Core orders, which are seen as a barometer of capital expenditure in the coming six to nine months, fell 3.9% in March from the previous month.
Canada's got a drinking problem — and one senator says Ottawa needs to step up
CBC
23-05-22 08:00
Canada's federal government's reluctance to hit drinkers with punishing financial disincentives – despite the fact that alcohol is the country's leading cause of preventable death – has prompted a politician to propose a bill to mandate cancer warnings on drink labels. Quebec Sen Patrick Brazeau, himself a recovering alcoholic, is behind Bill S-254. "It's so widely accepted in our society," he told CBC News. "But alcohol is not good for us, and we have to stop pretending that it is. … It doesn't seem there are too many people on Parliament Hill, elected officials, who are willing to take the bull by the horns and do something."
