CanadaJul 21, 2023
Retired RCMP officer charged with helping Beijing intimidation campaign
The RCMP says it has charged one of its former members in a case of alleged foreign interference.William Majcher is accused of helping the Chinese government identify and intimidate a person.Police say he is from Hong Kong and used his network of Canadian contacts to get intelligence or services that benefited the People's Republic of China.They say a national security investigation into Majcher's suspicious activities began in the fall of 2021.The 60-year-old retired officer is charged with conspiracy and preparatory acts for the benefit of a foreign entity.Police have not said who was the ta
CanadaJul 18, 2023
Ottawa gives $212M funding boost for housing asylum seekers
The federal government is announcing $212 million more in funding for interim housing for people claiming asylum in Canada, including about $97 million for Toronto.The city has been seeing asylum seekers and refugee claimants sleeping on the sidewalks, unable to get a space in Toronto's overwhelmed shelter system.A church in Toronto is now reportedly housing them temporarily.Officials have said that the number of asylum seekers in Toronto's shelter system grew by 500 per cent in 20 months and the city has had to turn them away from at-capacity shelters toward federal programs.Mayor Olivia Chow
CanadaJul 17, 2023
Scientific adviser resigns from Health Canada, calls for overhaul of pesticide rules
An independent scientific adviser has resigned from a Health Canada committee on pesticide management over concerns about a lack of transparency and scientific oversight.Dr. Bruce Lanphear, a health sciences professor at Simon Fraser University, stepped down as the co-chair of the Health Canada scientific advisory committee on pest control products on June 27.In his three-page resignation letter, he says he has little or no confidence that the committee can help the pesticide branch of Health Canada become more transparent or assure that Canadians are protected from toxic pesticides.The commit
CanadaJul 14, 2023
Emergency visa applications for Ukrainians fleeing war to end Saturday
Canada is expected to close applications for temporary emergency visas offered to Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression Saturday but hasn't announced whether it plans to offer long-term refuge.Canada launched the emergency visa after the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year as millions of people fled the embattled country.The visa is available to an unlimited number of Ukrainians and allows them to work and study in Canada for three years while they figure out their next steps. Those who've come to Canada using the emergency visa aren't given refugee status in Canada, and instead are consider
CanadaJul 13, 2023
Feds doing 'broader review' of social media after banning TikTok from work devices
The government is taking a look at possible threats from other social-media applications, after banishing TikTok from the mobile devices of federal public servants for privacy and security reasons.Martin Potvin, a spokesman for the Treasury Board Secretariat, says the government is conducting a wider review of social-media applications on work devices and will share the results when they are available.Potvin says the government is working to improve cybersecurity in Canada by identifying threats and vulnerabilities, including from social-media platforms, to ensure the protection of systems and
CanadaJul 12, 2023
Canada's premiers urge Ottawa to advance infrastructure to boost economic growth
Canada's premiers have ended their annual three-day conference in Winnipeg with a request that Ottawa boost economic growth and trade.Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, who hosted the meeting, says the premiers have asked for a dedicated meeting with the prime minister to discuss infrastructure priorities.Stefanson says partnerships are needed to keep Canada competitive, but Ottawa must respect the unique jurisdictions of each province.She says the provinces are united in their goal of advancing infrastructure in communities and between jurisdictions, including economic trade corridors.The pr
CanadaJul 07, 2023
Canadian unemployment rate rose to 5.4% in June
Unemployment in Canada climbed in June and numbers from Statistics Canada show B.C. followed the trend.Stats Can says the national jobless rate edged up three basis points to 5.4 per cent last month, while the number of people looking for work in this province climbed to 5.6 per cent from five per cent in May.Analysts say 60,000 positions were added to the national economy in June, but the growing population and boost in jobseekers overshadowed the gain.The Bank of Canada has blamed low unemployment for fuelling inflation and it could consider the consecutive monthly hikes in the jobless rate
CanadaJul 05, 2023
Canadian government suspends advertising on Facebook, Instagram
The Canadian government has given a severe blow to Meta which is opposing the Online News Act.Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said the federal government is going to suspend all its ads on Facebook and Instagram.The Trudeau government minister said that Meta's threat to block Canadian news on its platforms in defiance of the Online News Act was irresponsible and unacceptable.He said that the government wants the two platforms to negotiate and pay Canadian media instead of local news while working on the regulatory process.The government said that the talks with Google are going in the right
CanadaJul 04, 2023
Joly concerned for safety of India's diplomats, calls protest poster 'unacceptable'
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she is concerned about the safety of India's diplomats following what she calls an "unacceptable" poster for an upcoming protest near Toronto.The protest is planned in memory of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was killed in a shooting in British Columbia in June.A poster for the protest circulating on social media includes photos of India's top two diplomats in Canada, calls them "killers in Toronto" and suggests it's time to "kill India."Niijar was a vocal opponent of India and supporter of an independent Sikh state but police say they have fou