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☆ Canada summons Chinese ambassador over allegations of political interference
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Paula Newton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Ottawa CNN —Canada summoned China’s ambassador on Wednesday to respond to allegations of political interference and intimidation. However, she admitted Canada’s government was carefully weighing the possibility of retaliation by China, which denies interfering in Canadian political affairs. CNN asked China’s foreign ministry about the allegations, specifically the accusations made by CSIS about political interference and attempts at intimidation made by a Chinese diplomat. “China always opposes any country’s interference in other countries internal affairs. We have never had and have no interest in interfering in Canada’s internal affairs.

☆ Canada online news bill is 'unreasonable,' Google executive says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Sam Jabri-Pickett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Introduced in April 2022, the bill, known as Bill C-18, is the latest legislation that aims to make digital media platforms pay their fair share for linking news content. Both eventually struck deals with Australian media companies after amendments to the legislation were offered. Since the Australian law took effect, the tech firms have approved more than 30 deals with media outlets compensating them for content-generating traffic. Canada's news industry has called for tighter regulation of tech companies to prevent them from elbowing news businesses out of the online advertising market. News industry says it has suffered financial losses as firms like Google and Meta steadily gain greater market share of online advertising revenue.

☆ Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to attend King Charles' coronation in London
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, May 3 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will travel to Britain to attend the Coronation of King Charles at London's Westminster Abbey on Saturday, the prime minister's office said in a statement on Wednesday. Trudeau will be joined by Governor General Mary Simon, the monarch's representative in Canada, and several other dignitaries, including Indigenous leaders and astronauts. Canada will also host an official ceremony in Ottawa on Saturday, according to the statement. Canada, which remained in the British Empire until 1982, is a member of the Commonwealth of former empire countries and among those that kept the British monarch as their head of state. Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Canada's spy agency withheld information about China's threats to lawmaker, Trudeau says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, May 3 (Reuters) - Canada's spy agency withheld information about Chinese threats against a Canadian lawmaker and his family in 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday, adding that he had told the agency that in the future such threats must be revealed immediately. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had determined that information about the threats against Michael Chong, a member of parliament with Canada's main opposition Conservative party, were not concerning enough to inform him, Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa. Trudeau has previously said China attempted to meddle in the 2019 and 2021 votes, but did not change the outcome. On Wednesday, Trudeau said he learned about the threats against Chong from the Globe report and upon enquiring about it, found out that CSIS had decided to withhold information. Chong was sanctioned by Beijing in 2021 after his motion passed the Canadian parliament declaring China's treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority genocide.

☆ Canadian Government Workers End 12-Day Strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Paul Vieira | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Public-sector workers on strike in Ottawa last week. The Public Service Alliance of Canada went on strike starting April 19, seeking a 13.5% wage increase over three years. The deal affects about 120,000 employees, who help process immigration and passport applications and deliver jobless benefits to the unemployed. The agreement doesn’t cover about 30,000 workers at Canada’s tax-collection agency. Employees there remain on strike, and the dispute is expected to affect the processing of tax returns that were due Sunday, officials say.

Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images Camilla stands next to Queen Elizabeth II during a Diamond Jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images From left, Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the state opening of Parliament in May 2013. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William. Frank Augstein/WPA Pool/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's Queen Camilla Prev NextShe reportedly met Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor in 1970 and they became friends. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.

☆ US Chamber of Commerce warns of major increase in risks for businesses in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —The United States Chamber of Commerce has warned that rising scrutiny of American firms in China “dramatically increases” the uncertainties and risks of doing business in the country. “The services these firms provide are fundamental to establishing investor confidence in any market, including China,” the chamber said in a statement, without naming either company. Suzanne Clark, president and chief executive officer of the US Chamber of Commerce, speaking during an event in Ottawa, Canada, in April. The news came a month after Chinese authorities closed the Beijing offices of Mintz, detaining five of its local staff. The news about Bain has spooked the US business community in China, the American Chamber of Commerce in China told CNN last week.

☆ Some Canadian workers in wage pact with government to end strike from Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 1 (Reuters) - Canada reached agreement for a new wage deal with a union representing 120,000 federal workers, the union said on Monday, bringing an end to the country's largest public sector strike that had crippled services from tax returns to immigration. "Strike action continues across the country for 35,000 members at Canada Revenue Agency," the union said, adding that talks would resume with a new mandate for a fair contract. Their key outstanding concerns include fair wages, the right to work remotely, and the role of seniority in layoffs. However, the Treasury workers' deal exceeded "the employer's original offer before the launch of strike action", the union added. Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Immigration lawyer Ksenia Tchern's office is getting calls from worried clients, she said. The delay caused by the strike comes as Canada's immigration system is playing catch-up from pandemic delays. Immigration department spokespeople, whose work has been affected by the strike, could not provide details on the strike's impacts on immigration services. An immigration system perceived to be dysfunctional could complicate efforts to woo talented immigrants, said immigration lawyer Guidy Mamann. "It just gives our immigration system a black eye.

CNN —When the Toronto Maple Leafs last won a playoff series, George W. Bush was the US President, Lance Armstrong was winning Tour de France titles and The Facebook had just been launched. A lot has happened since 2004, and it has been quite the wait for the Maple Leafs. Before Saturday, the Maple Leafs had lost six straight first-round series, in addition to a qualifying-round loss in 2020 during the NHL bubble. In 2004, the Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators in seven games to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Maple Leafs will face the winner of Game 7 between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers Sunday.

☆ A lawyer's license was suspended after he tried to sue his 'sugar baby' for $166 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A lawyer was suspended after trying to sue his former "sugar baby" for C$226 million ($166 million). But a court said his conduct during the lawsuit was "unbecoming" and suspended him for a month. A lawyer who tried to sue his former "sugar baby" for C$229 million ($169 million) has been suspended after a court ruled he had become "obsessed" with the woman. Ramal-Shah urged the woman's mother to offer a settlement to keep the matter out of courts, before eventually suing the family. The court rejected Ramal-Shah's lawsuit because it was outside the statute of limitations and was "frivolous, vexatious, or otherwise an abuse of process."

☆ Canadian government says it gave striking union 'final offer'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Picketers march on Parliament Hill as approximately 155,000 public sector union workers with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) continue to strike, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File PhotoApril 29 (Reuters) - Canadian government negotiators have presented striking public workers with a "final offer," the Treasury Board of Canada said on Saturday, aiming to end a dispute that has disrupted services ranging from tax returns to passport renewals. The head of the union representing some 155,000 striking public workers earlier this week accused the government of stalling and called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to get involved in negotiations. On Saturday, the Treasury Board, which oversees public administration, said it gave the union its offer on Friday. "This is a fair, competitive and reasonable final offer," the Treasury Board said in a statement.

☆ Americans Along Canadian Border Fume Over Ottawa’s Housing Tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Paul Vieira | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Canada’s annual underused-home tax is set at 1% of the assessed value or most-recent sale price. Photo: Ben Nelms/Bloomberg NewsOTTAWA—Americans who own property and vacation homes in Canada are furious over Ottawa’s plan to tax real estate that is not occupied year-round. Some Americans are considering selling their Canadian property. One member of Congress, representing western New York state, is pushing the Biden administration to file a trade complaint under the terms of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade treaty, or at least to persuade Canada to carve out an exemption for Americans.

☆ Trudeau: Canadian lithium costs more because it doesn't use slave labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Doina Chiacu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday linked the production of lithium in China with "slave labor" as he discussed his country's efforts to ramp up production of the metal used in electric vehicle and other batteries. Canada has significant sources of lithium, Trudeau said, but, he added, China has made strategic choices over the decades that have made it by far the world's largest producer. Because we don't use slave labor," Trudeau said in remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. REUTERS/Blair GableThe United States has alleged use of forced labor by China in sectors including mining and construction. Last year, a U.S. law took effect banning imports from China's Xinjiang region over concerns about forced labor.

☆ Trudeau points to 'slave labor' in China lithium production
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Doina Chiacu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday linked the production of lithium in China to "slave labor" as he discussed his own country's efforts to ramp up production of the metal used in electric vehicle and other batteries. Canada has significant sources of lithium, Trudeau said, but China has made strategic choices over the decades that have made it by far the world's largest producer. Because we don't use slave labor," Trudeau said in remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. The United States has alleged use of forced labor by China in sectors including mining and construction. China denies abuses in Xinjiang, a major cotton producer that also supplies much of the world's materials for solar panels.

☆ Canada and U.S. agree to trace guns intercepted at border
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Canada and the United States have agreed to strengthen the bilateral cooperation to reduce gun violence," Mendicino said. The United States traces guns by requiring firearm dealers to record the serial numbers of the guns they sell and who purchased them. "Data and information sharing are powerful tools in the fight against gun violence," said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was also present. Previously, gun tracing in Canada has been inconsistent. Canada traced only 6-10% of guns involved in crimes, according to 2019 data from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), a federal agency.

☆ Canadian Senate passes bill to compel local content on streaming giants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, April 27 (Reuters) - Canada's Senate on Thursday passed the government's online streaming legislation after a 10-month debate over a law that will force firms like Netflix (NFLX.O) and Alphabet Inc-owned (GOOGL.O) YouTube to offer more Canadian content. Bill C-11, or the Online Streaming Act, cleared the unelected upper chamber of the Canadian parliament with 52 votes to 16 and one abstention. The government says the legislation will ensure that online streaming services promote Canadian music and stories, and support Canadian jobs. YouTube has said it does not oppose the bill in its entirety, but has raised concerns over its impact to user-generated content. The video platform says the law would force it to recommend Canadian content on its homepage, rather than videos tailored to a user's specific interests.

☆ Canada airlifts over 100 people from Sudan in first evacuation operation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, April 27 (Reuters) - Canada conducted its first evacuation operation in Sudan on Thursday, airlifting over 100 hundred people, including Canadians and other nationals, on two flights from the war-torn North African country, senior government officials said. "I can confirm that a first Canadian evacuation flight from Sudan has taken place using an RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) CC-130 Hercules aircraft," Defence Minister Anita Anand said at a news conference in Enfield, Nova Scotia. There are about 1,800 Canadians in Sudan, out of which at least 700 have requested assistance from the Canadian government. The Canadian defense ministry said on Wednesday it was deploying about 200 troops and positioning two C-130 Hercules aircraft to coordinate evacuations from Sudan. Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Glencore says takeover bid for Teck Resources still stands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Clara Denina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 27 (Reuters) - Glencore Plc (GLEN.L) said on Thursday its takeover bid for Teck Resources Ltd (TECKb.TO) still stands, after the Canadian miner scrapped a restructuring plan that would have ended it. It chief executive, Jonathan Price, repeated on Wednesday his objection to Glencore's bid, saying he would "not engage in something that is a distraction". Glencore's plan would combine and spin off its thermal coal unit and Teck's steelmaking coal business, while rebranding the rest of the operations as GlenTeck. Glencore also said it "remains committed to ensuring that its proposal delivers real benefits to Canada." On Monday, Chrystia Freeland, Canada's deputy prime minister, said Teck should remain headquartered there, providing the clearest indication to date that Ottawa was closely watching the takeover battle.

NEW YORK, April 26 (Reuters) - Fast Retailing's (9983.T) Uniqlo plans to expand its existing stores in North America by 10%, according to one of its executives. Fast Retailing reported a 16.4% rise to 220 billion yen ($1.65 billion) in first-half operating profit earlier this month. The company also raised its full-year profit forecast to 360 billion yen ($2.7 billion) from 350 billion yen ($2.63 billion). Daisuke Tsukagoshi, Uniqlo North America chief executive, said in an email to Reuters that the chain chose to launch the Ottawa and Calgary stores after seeing a "strong online presence" there. Sweden's fast fashion giant H&M has more than 738 stores in North and South America as of February 2023, according to the retailer's website.

☆ Sweden to host four NHL regular-season games in November
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 26 (Reuters) - The National Hockey League (NHL) will hold four regular-season games in Sweden next season featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Minnesota Wild, the league said on Wednesday. There will be a game each day from Nov. 16-19 at Avicii Arena in Stockholm with a clash between Detroit and Ottawa kicking off the 2023 NHL Global Series - Sweden. There are 36 players of European nationalities on the Red Wings, Wild, Senators and Maple Leafs, including 21 Swedish players. To date, there have been 38 NHL regular-season games played outside of North America, including 32 played in Europe. There have been 13 NHL regular-season games played in Sweden.

☆ Canada calls public worker strike demands 'unaffordable'; union urges Trudeau intervention
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Picketers march on Parliament Hill as approximately 155,000 public sector union workers with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) continue to strike, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Blair GableOTTAWA, April 26 (Reuters) - The union representing some 155,000 striking Canadian public workers is making "unaffordable" demands, the Treasury Board of Canada said on Wednesday, while the union head accused the government of stalling. The strike by federal government workers, represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada, entered its eighth day on Wednesday, affecting services ranging from tax returns to passport renewals. Union President Chris Aylward called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to get involved in negotiations and give the Treasury Board a new mandate. Earlier Wednesday the union said it was escalating strike action, blocking ports in Vancouver, Montreal and Saint John’s.

☆ Bank of Canada rate-cut bets recede as core inflation proves sticky
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A sign is pictured outside the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 23, 2017. The BoC has made greater progress in slowing inflation than some major peers, including the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank. Still, the rise in inflation expectations could be another reason for the Canadian central bank to be cautious about easing rates. The central bank has left its benchmark interest rate on hold for two straight meetings after lifting it to a 15-year high of 4.50%. Those rate hikes have contributed to inflation, by driving up mortgage borrowing costs, but the main aim is to slow the economy.

☆ NASA chief sees Russians and Americans together on space station through 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Joe SkipperOTTAWA, April 25 (Reuters) - NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on Tuesday condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, but said in Ottawa that he expected Russians and Americans to work together on the International Space Station (ISS) until it is decommissioned. American-Russian space cooperation was put in doubt after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Yuri Borisov, the director-general of Russia's space agency Roscosmos, surprised NASA by announcing in July 2022 that Moscow intended to withdraw from the space station partnership "after 2024." And I expect that to continue all the way through the end of the decade, when they we will then de-orbit the space station." The space station was born in part from a foreign policy initiative to improve American-Russian relations following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Cold War hostility that spurred the original U.S.-Soviet space race.

[1/2] Picketers gather and march downtown as approximately 155,000 public sector union workers with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) continue to strike, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 24, 2023. For the 155,000 Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) on strike, the main sticking point is wages. "If they do get the remote work language in the collective agreement, then others will be inspired to do the same." PSAC, which names remote work as its second priority after wages, said on its website that it is time to look to the future "by enshrining remote work protections" into collective agreements. On Tuesday the Treasury Board said remote work remained a sticking point.

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