China's Special Envoy Li Hui has urged Ukraine and Russia to stop the war and resume talks as part of his own initiative to push for a ceasefire between the two countries. He was appointed as a peace envoy to Ukraine after a phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky three weeks ago. Li met with senior Ukrainian officials to discuss a political solution to the crisis and their views on China-Ukraine relations. However, it is not known whether Beijing's peace proposal was received favourably by Kyiv.
Leaders from seven of the world's wealthiest democracies and the EU are meeting at this year's Group of Seven (G7) summit, which kicked off on Friday in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The talks are expected to cover tensions in the Asia-Pacific following the exclusion of China from the summit, with much of the early attention focused on growing fears over North Korea's nuclear programme. The situation in Ukraine and Britain's EU referendum will also feature on the summit’s agenda.
The Canadian Ministry of Transportation has detailed the planned closures of 35 major roads in Toronto on 18 May 2023. The majority of closures will affect the eastbound and westbound lanes of the Highway 401, with all lanes closed between Avenue Road and Highway 404 and all alternate lanes closed between Islington Avenue and Highway 427. One route in both directions of the Queen Elizabeth Way will also experience closures.
China says Ukraine envoy met with Zelenskyy during talks in Kyiv
The Toronto Star
23-05-18 09:13
China's special envoy Li Hui has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss ways to resolve the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Li visited Kiev over two days and met with Ukraine's foreign minister to discuss a "stable and just peace based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine". Zelenskyy and Chinese leader Xi Jinping previously spoke over the phone. China has proposed its own peace plan in response to the 15-month-long conflict, in which Russian President Vladimir Putin must withdraw his forces. Ukraine has repeatedly emphasised that it will not entertain any proposal related to the loss or freezing of territorial conflict. Despite China's claim of positioning as a mediator, Beijing has often come across as siding with Moscow both politically and economically.
These Toronto lawyers want South Asian newcomers to know their employment rights
CBC
23-05-18 09:00
The Tareekh Pe Tareekh: Know Your Employment Rights campaign, launched last year by two Toronto lawyers, is helping South Asian newcomers and immigrants learn their rights at work. The organisers produce informational videos in a range of South Asian languages, covering subjects including basic information from the Employment Standards Act, in which workers are advised to identify if they are being exploited. The clips, which have been viewed by thousands of people, have doubled the amount of calls to co-organiser, the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, while targeting unpaid wages and the abuse of international student employees.
The UK government spent an estimated £161.7m ($220m) on the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, which was held at Westminster Abbey on 19 September last year, according to figures released by the Treasury. The period of national mourning before the ceremony involved more than 100,000 people in paying their respects. The UK Home Office spent £74m, while the Department of Culture, Media and Sport spent £57m. Other costs were incurred by the ministries of defence, transport and foreign affairs, as well as the Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh governments.
MPs in the UK have reiterated calls for rape cases to be moved out of military courts after it emerged that sexual abuse is continuing to be a problem within the armed forces. One servicewoman’s complaint of rape was dismissed by her superior, who said her attacker would remain with his unit, while another was told to accept that “things get a little out of hand” after she reported being groped and forcibly kissed by a male colleague. The Ministry of Defence introduced new measures following a 2021 review which revealed widespread problems, but MPs argue that significant issues still exist.
Russia's notorious private army, Wagner, charged with leading Moscow's campaign to take Ukraine's Zakarapattya region, is experiencing serious splits within its own ranks, according to Ukrainian sources. On Thursday, Moscow confirmed its forces were retreating on the outskirts of Bakhmut, where Ukraine has been pressing ahead with its biggest advance for six months ahead of a planned counteroffensive, causing growing concern within the Kremlin. Meanwhile the G7 group of big developed countries has been meeting in Japan where leaders are expected to tighten sanctions to close off Russia's opportunities to bypass financial restrictions.
Norfolk, just off the east coast of England, holds approximately 150 to 200 lost villages, having been abandoned usually due to gruelling, fruitless conditions as a result of clay soil, heavy rainfall or cold winters, with several also drowned by the North Sea. While most are nothing more than memories with no remains, a few, including the village of Godwick which was abandoned in the 15th century, still have ancient foundations visible. It is believed there are more deserted medieval villages in Norfolk than in any other English county, reflecting the population denseness in the region during the Middle Ages. Godwick’s current owner James Garner, whose grandfather bought the estate in 1959, has maintained the conditions in such a way that the foundations of the tofts - which are now grazed over by sheep - are still visible.
Boris Pistorius, the new German defense minister, has outlined plans to offer greater flexibility to the country's military procurement process. Pistorius has said he wants to do away with old regulations, such as arduous approval processes and sign-offs from senior figures, while protecting research and development of advanced weapons. His proposals reflect evidence revealed by media platform Business Insider, which highlighted the country's lack of process for military procured items, with delays costing time and money, and putting pressure on national security.
Ukraine has made small territorial gains in Bakhmut, after fiercely repelling an attack by Russia on Thursday. Russian forces launched a number missile strikes across the country overnight, with Ukraine claiming to successfully shoot down 29 of 30 missiles. Meanwhile, Ukraine urged citizens to evacuate the industrial zone in Kyiv after ammunition storage depots there caught fire following a missile hit, and there were reports of huge explosions. The developments illustrate the fragility of the truce agreed this year, with US officials now speaking of the imminence of a Russian invasion.
Norway and the UK have signed a statement of intent to increase cooperation on countering undersea threats in the wake of last year’s attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The move is intended to counter a specific Russian naval programme, which Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned is aimed at potentially sabotaging or attacking critical national infrastructure. The two nations are to jointly increase security patrols and develop better technology to protect shared interests in the North Sea while streamlining the process for other allies to join their activity. From July, the Royal Navy’s new multi-role ocean surveillance vessel RFA Proteus will help protect critical infrastructure.
New figures reveal that the funeral and lying-in-state of the late Queen Elizabeth II cost UK taxpayers an estimated £161.7m. More than 250,000 people passed through Westminster Hall to pay their respects before the Queen’s coffin was buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel in Windsor. The Home Office spent £73.7m and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport £57m. The Scottish Government spent £18.8m while the Northern Ireland Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Welsh Government, the Department for Transport, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office each spent up to £3m.
Wagner group falling into Bakhmut 'mousetrap,' says Ukrainian commander
CBC
23-05-18 15:05
The Ukrainian military has advanced more than a kilometre near Bakhmut, shifting momentum after months of slow Russian gains in what is the deadliest ground combat in Europe since World War Two. Petro Podaru, commander of a Ukrainian artillery unit, said Russia was bombarding access roads to slow the Ukrainian assault. The Russian private army Wagner has led the Bakhmut campaign but its forces have been split from the Russian military, deepening public divisions. Ukraine claims its tactic around Bakhmut is to draw Russian forces into the city to weaken Russian front line defences elsewhere ahead of a planned counterassault.
Campaigners seeking greater protection for British servicemen and women have called on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to move rape cases out of internal military courts, following the publication of new evidence of continued sexual abuse within the armed forces. The evidence was provided to the Defence Sub-Committee on Women in the Armed Forces and detailed whistleblower reports that included failures by senior military figures to act on sexual assault allegations and condemned servicemen continue to serve openly.
Although China is trying to attract foreign investment, its actual utilisation of foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 3.3% to $73.5bn in the first four months of the year, compared to the same period a year ago. The country has significant work to do in enticing investors, since they play important roles in China's access to capital, technology and expertise in management. The tensions with the US remain a hindrance, compounded by Beijing's crackdowns on fund and due-diligence organisations over national security concerns has fueled concern among investors.
The city of Hiroshima is home to a thriving pacifist movement, with landmarks and roads named after peace. However, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is pushing for a reduction of nuclear stockpiles in the city through expansion of Japan's military. In November, the Japanese government announced plans to double defence spending to 2% of the country's GDP, or around $80bn annually. It is focusing on the development of long-range missiles, producing domestic weapons, and forces capable of a coordinated regional offensive. The risk from China is seen as the greatest strategic challenge to Japan's safety.
The city of Hiroshima has a long history of troubled defence projects, although this has not deterred the Prime Minister from pursuing his aims. There is a thriving arms industry based in Hiroshima and some companies are starting to speak out about their role in supplying weapons for the country’s newly expanded military. But not all residents want to be associated with an arms industry, as peace remains the core of the civic brand. The new policies are particularly sensitive, as Japan’s post-war constitution states: “land, sea, and air forces… will never be maintained.” While the constitution allows for the existence of “Self-Defense Forces (SDF)” there is substantial difficulty in rewriting Article 9, a constitutional provision that restricts the military. Kishida argues that the policies are necessary so that Japan can take responsibility for the protection of its own people.
China is considering transferring control of China Cinda Asset Management, China Great Wall Asset Management and China Orient Asset Management to Central Huijin Investment. Beijing has a stake in these firms worth $33bn. The move aims to separate the government’s role as a regulator and a shareholder. It will also allow the regulator to concentrate on curbing rising risks in China's $60tn financial industry, where fears of hidden debts and missed payments could cause a potentially disastrous cascading effect. A transfer of control to Huijin could raise questions among creditors over government support during times of stress.
The Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative Society has been granted $11m of government funding to support its life-skills training programmes for tenants in single-room occupancy buildings in Vancouver. The three-year funding will help the not-for-profit organisation provide training in fire safety and overdose prevention; the society estimates the money will benefit more than 2,700 tenants in over 50 privately run buildings. The funding will also be used to support cleaning, repair and organising committees to prevent evictions. The society’s executive director noted that the habitability of the buildings is a key issue given the difficulty in finding other accommodation.
A non-profit in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside has received CAD 11m ($9m) in funding for a three-year programme aimed at teaching life skills to single room occupancy hotel tenants. The Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative Society's training will include fire safety and lessons on overdose prevention, as well as incentives for community cleaning and repair work, and committee formation to prevent evictions. The programme is aimed at over 2,700 tenants in more than 50 privately-run buildings. The boost in funding recognises that the housing facilities are critical to supporting those in danger of becoming homeless.
