Marineland needs to change, Niagara Falls mayor says
CBC
23-05-19 15:31
Mayor of Niagara Falls, Jim Diodati, has said that Marineland should move away from the use of animals in its theme park. Diodati also stated that the park, located in Ontario, has been for sale since the death of its founder John Holer in 2018. Despite requests from the CBC, the park has not commented on a potential sale. Marineland has been subjected to criticism for maintaining the captivity of its animals, and drew further negative media attention in 2021 for the death of Kiska, the last captive killer whale in Canada.
Demonstrations were held on 10 December across Syria to protest against the country’s return to the Arab League and normalisation of relations with President Bashar al-Assad’s government. In addition to Syrian cities, demonstrations were held in London, Amsterdam, Lyon, Stockholm, Vienna, and Vaile. Protesters adopted the slogan “Criminal al-Assad Never Represents Syria” and insisted that despite the decision to readmit Syria to the Arab League, al-Assad does not represent the country. During the Arab League summit that prompted the protests, Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani led the Qatari delegation but left the summit before al-Assad’s speech.
Bill 96: Quebec public servants to rely on 'good faith' of people seeking service in any language but French
CBC
23-05-19 20:22
New regulations issued by Quebec’s government ahead of implementation of its Bill 96 set out criteria that clients must meet in order to be served in a language other than French. The law grants a wide berth to French speakers and limits the role of English in courtrooms, by civil servants and across small businesses, municipalities and the higher-learning institutions known as CEGEPs. Civil servants working for national institutions and the provincial automobile insurance board must first check if English is permissible, based on a list of criteria that include whether the person has a history of communicating in English before 13 May 2021.
The Royal Navy has awarded two contracts to support and maintain six offshore patrol vessels for £320m ($443m). UK Docks Marine Services was awarded a £250m eight-year contract to maintain the HMS Forth, HMS Medway, HMS Trent, HMS Tamar and HMS Spey, while BAE Systems won a £70m five-year contract to service HMS Mersey, HMS Severn and HMS Tyne. UK Docks' deal will create over 100 new roles based across the UK and overseas, while BAE Systems' deal is set to sustain over a dozen jobs.
Russia has banned 500 Americans from entering the country following the implementation of a new round of US sanctions. The list included Barack Obama, comedian Stephen Colbert and 45 members of the House of Representatives. Other bans were also connected to arms supplies to Ukraine and officials "who are directly involved in the persecution of dissidents in the wake of the so-called 'storm of the Capitol'". Moscow also refused the US's request for consular access to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in late March and charged with espionage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to join leaders of Group of Seven nations for a session on Ukraine, according to an announcement from Japan. Zelenskyy is expected to arrive in Hiroshima on Saturday before joining G7 leaders for the session on Sunday. The Japanese Foreign Ministry said Zelenskyy had expressed a “strong wish” to participate in person, leading to a change of plans from an online-only session on Friday. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is also set to hold talks with Zelenskyy during his visit to Hiroshima.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will attend the G7 Hiroshima summit in person on Sunday and hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his stay, according to Japan's foreign ministry. Zelenskiy will participate in a session regarding peace and security alongside the G7 leaders and invited outreach countries. The Ukrainian President is expected to hold bilateral meetings with other G7 attendees during his visit.
The G7 summit in the city of Hiroshima in Japan may feature debates on the Ukraine conflict, China’s economic power and the domination of Taiwan. Issues of global energy and economic security are also expected to be discussed. The presence of India, a country that is currently chairing G-20, is likely to bring a focus to global developing nations and the concerns of the so-called Global South. Significant Asia-Pacific nations including India, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Australia are participating alongside the seven member states of the G7 and the European Union. Gambia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Senegal and Vietnam have been invited to send representatives to a meeting on tropical diseases.
Leaders of the G7 countries and their invited guests, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam and Australia, are meeting in Hiroshima over the next few days. The likely topics for discussion include the Ukraine conflict, growing Chinese dominance and the threat to Taiwan as well as issues surrounding supply chains and economic and energy security. The prominent attendance of India, a country that chairs the G20 this year, is highlighted as likely to shine a spotlight on the developing world. However, many have asked why the focus of the summit is background noise, rather than on the nuclear threat signaled by North Korea's recent nuclear tests and missile launches.
Zibo, a formerly debt-ridden industrial centre in China’s Shandong province, has turned around its fortunes with a heavily-advertised “barbecue festival” designed to draw holidaymakers on a budget. Campaigners from the city government used discount vouchers, an interactive WeChat map and monitored pricing in hotels and restaurants to create a buzz around the event, which drew more than 120,000 visitors over the Labour Day holiday. While the measure may have contributed to an increase in the number of young people storming the city for the low cost option, doubts have been raised about whether barbecue can truly revive Zibo's local economy, which has recently experienced weakening export demand along with Covid-related disruptions in its chemical business. To maintain growth, the city must diversify its service industry, according to Chen Ji from the Capital University of Economics and Business.
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.
Leaders at the G7 summit in Japan have held talks focusing on the deepening dominance of China and political tensions on the Korean peninsula. The likely impact on the Japanese economy of the UK's Brexit decision is also a significant concern. Top of the agenda was the situation in the Ukraine and issues related to economic security and supply chains. India's attendance, as chair of the G20, has highlighted the importance of the developing world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made several contributions to the talks, arguing for inclusive food systems to be created across the world. At a separate meeting, involving the leaders of Japan and Brazil, mention was made of the need for security council reform. Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to visit Hiroshima, where he laid a wreath at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.
Privately operated nursing agencies have begun taking advantage of the chronic nursing shortage, which has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to widespread staffing shortages and an increasingly predatory environment within the healthcare system. Nursing agencies were previously used for addressing short-term staffing shortages, but some hospitals have no choice but to use them to fill chronic, provincewide full-time nursing staff shortages, as many institutions are being brought close to bankruptcy thanks to agency fees. We need government oversight for mandatory licensing and cost restrictions for nursing agencies, warns Sharon Kaasalainen, a professor and Gladys Sharpe chair in Nursing at McMaster University.
The Ministry of Transportation in Toronto has scheduled five closures for roadworks on different sections of Highway 401 and the Queen Elizabeth Way on May 20, 2023. The work includes the closure of on-ramps and the allocation of different lanes for closures, prompting travel plans to be made accordingly. The Ministry acknowledges that these closures are subject to change due to factors beyond their control, including emergencies and weather situations.
F-18 fighter jet accident at Zaragoza airbase as pilot ejects successfully
The Toronto Star
23-05-20 13:59
An F-18 fighter jet crashed at an airbase in the Spanish city of Zaragoza but the pilot ejected and survived, according to the country's defence ministry. The plane landed on the base near the city, the ministry added. Social media videos showed the aircraft in flames before it fell towards the ground.
China has shown its opposition to the G7 joint statement made at Hiroshima, criticizing Japan for interfering in its internal affairs including Taiwan. The G7 had disregarded China’s concerns and attacked it, according to a statement already released. The Chinese foreign ministry announced that China had registered its strong dissatisfaction, and had made a complaint to summit organizer Japan.
The Group of Seven (G7) summit held in Hiroshima this week has focused on the Ukraine crisis, as well as the growth of China and the associated rising threat to Taiwan. The discussions have incorporated a range of issues, including energy and economic security and supply chains. The attendance of nations such as India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Australia has ensured a focus on developing countries. Earlier this week, speaking at the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that the creation of a system focused on food security, particularly for “marginal farmers” must be given priority, and suggested that there was a need to strengthen global “fertilizer supply chains” while curtailing “the expansionist mindset controlling fertilizer resources.” The summit has also covered artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons and non-proliferation, and climate change. It had been hoped that discussion of global health issues would also feature. The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. The summit concludes today.
Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Alexander Grushko, has warned Western countries of “colossal risks” associated with providing Ukraine with US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets. His comments follow an announcement by US President Joe Biden granting the transfer of the planes and training for Ukrainian pilots. The UK has welcomed the decision, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leading calls for Ukraine to receive the jets.
Canada's children's and educational publishing world is suffering due to copying. The impact of the 2012 amendment of the Copyright Act has led to educational institutions copying up to 600 million pages of books annually. The Education Sector's practice of copying more than the maximum permitted amount has led to reduced sales and profits affecting smaller publishers who rely on the licensed copyright fees. The failure of the Liberal Government to implement changes suggested eight years ago by the Conservative federal government has resulted in calls for the Heritage Minister to press ahead with changes that must involve paying the schools and university the outstanding bill estimated at CA$200m over a decade.
The city of Bakhmut has become the longest and bloodiest battle of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Here is a timeline of key events:
May 8, 2022 – Ukraine confirms Bakhmut is vulnerable, and Russian forces can advance towards Bakhmut and pound it with artillery.
October 8, 2022 – The start of the assault on Bakhmut city by Wagner fighters, according to Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
April 2, 2023 – Prigozhin hoists a Russian flag by what he says is Bakhmut’s city hall. Ukraine rejects his claim.
May 20, 2023 – Prigozhin says Wagner forces have completed the capture of Bakhmut. Ukraine says the situation there is critical.
