Canada And Beyond

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  • Opposition Parties Unsatisfied With Review – The announcement that an independent special rapporteur will review alleged Chinese interference in Canadian politics has failed to stop opposition-led calls for an open inquiry on the foreign election interference issue. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre panned PM Trudeau’s offerings as little more than efforts to “cover up” a process he believes should be open and not led by anyone appointed solely by the Liberals. (CTV News)
  • Charges Stayed In Historical Drug Bust – What was once dubbed the largest-ever international drug burst in Toronto Police Service history with 182 charges, 20 arrests and $61M worth of drugs seized, fell through in court Monday after all charges linked to the case were stayed. No official word on why the charges were stayed has been released although the Crown said it was a result of a combination of witness issues, disclosure issues and delays in the proceedings. (CBC News)
  • Ontario Must Be Prepared For Next Pandemic – Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health, said that Ontario can’t let public health preparedness fall by the wayside once COVID-19 ends. In his annual report, Moore said the arrival of the next pandemic is not a question of if, but when and Ontario must maintain its investment in public health preparedness. (CP24)
  • Arrests Made In Student Poisonings – The first arrests in connection to the mystery poisonings of schoolgirls in Iran have been made. A number of people have been arrested and the relevant agencies are conducting a full investigation. More than 5,000 Iranian children have been affected by the poisonings that has targeted mainly female students since late November. (The Times Of Israel)

Canada And Beyond

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  • Trudeau Launching China Meddling Probe – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will have an independent special rapporteur review classified reports about alleged Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections and make recommendations on combating foreign interference. However, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre have been pushing for an open inquiry on foreign election interference. (CBC, BBC)
  • Court Strikes Down Ad Election Rules – Ontario’s top court has ruled that Premier Doug Ford’s advertising rules that extended the pre-election restricted spending period from six months to one year while not increasing the amount that third parties were allowed to spend is unconstitutional as it overly restricts the informational component of the right to vote. The law was originally found unconstitutional in 2021 but the government reintroduced the provisions using the notwithstanding clause. (Global News)
  • Man Stabs Flight Attendant – A man on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston has been arrested after stabbing a flight attendant and attempting to open the aircraft’s emergency door. The man allegedly struck one of the flight attendants with a broken metal spoon three times in the neck before passengers tackled the attacker until he was restrained by the flight crew. (The Guardian)

Canada And Beyond

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  • Liberals Pushing For Early Leadership Vote – Some Liberals are pushing for an Ontario Liberal leadership vote by the end of the year, giving the new winner time to revive the party and take on Doug Ford in 2026. However, the party’s new president, former cabinet minister Kathryn McGarry, said it will take some time to make a decision on when to hold a leadership vote and to set parameters for the race. (Toronto Star)
  • NDP Wants Inquiry Into Foreign Meddling – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he is not “ruling out” the possibility of a public inquiry into foreign interference being a condition for continuing the governance deal with the federal Liberals. This comes as pressure is mounting on the federal government to investigate allegations of Chinese meddling in Canadian elections. (Global News)
  • China To Increase Military Spending – China will increase military spending by more than 7% this year. Outgoing Premier Li Keqiang said that “external attempts to suppress and contain China are escalating” and that “the armed forces should intensify military training and preparedness”. (BBC)
  • Ukraine Still Controlling Bakhmut – Intense fighting continued in and around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces still control the city but Russian forces are pounding the routes out of the city, as both sides are reportedly running out of ammunition. (The Guardian)

Canada And Beyond

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  • Opposition Votes For Public Inquiry – Opposition MPs passed a motion calling for the federal government to launch a national public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference but it is ultimately up to the government to decide if they should launch an inquiry. The motion comes after media reports that China has attempted to influence Canadian politics including targeting specific candidates in an effort to re-elect Liberals. (CTV News)
  • Imperial Oil Mine Seeping Into Groundwater – A northern Alberta band chief says he’s angry that a pond on Imperial Oil Ltd.’s Kearl mine was seeping into groundwater and onto the surface for nine months before his community was notified. At least 5.3 million litres of water containing toxic chemicals have been released but Imperial says remediation efforts are ongoing and no wildlife was harmed. (Castanet)
  • Tuition Freeze – Ontario is extending a tuition freeze for public colleges and universities for a third year but post-secondary institutions say the freeze is harming their ability to respond to escalating cost. The Ontario government reduced tuition fees by 10% in 2019 and has frozen rates since then. (CBC News)
  • G20 Meeting Ends Without War Consensus – A meeting of the Group of 20 industrialized and developing nations ended with no consensus on the Ukraine war after China joined Russia in refusing to support a demand for Russia to cease hostilities. The two were the only countries not to agree on a statement demanding Russia’s “complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine”. (Aljazeera)

Canada And Beyond

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  • Trudeau Was Informed About Election Interference – At a multi-partisan committee, Trudeau’s national security and intelligence adviser confirmed that since January 2022, Justin Trudeau received a number of briefs and memos regarding China’s role in Canada’s federal elections. There are concerns about whether the government has responded with appropriate actions to counter these national security threats. Global News previously reported China’s foreign interference networks implicated at least 11 candidates in the 2019 election. (Global News)
  • $200k Donation Linked To China Returned – The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation is returning a $200,000 donation made in 2016 by Zhang Bin, a wealthy businessman and adviser to the Chinese government. A story published by the Globe and Mail suggested that the donation can be linked back to the Chinese government and Conservatives say the donation has compromised a recent report on foreign interference in the 2021 election. (CBC News, Globe and Mail)
  • U.S. Considers Possible Sanctions Against China – The U.S. is seeking allies about the possibility of imposing new sanctions on China if they provide military support to Russia. While the U.S. and other countries believe that China is considering providing weapons to Russia, China has denied the allegations. (Global News)

Canada And Beyond

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  • Recommendations for Universal Dental Care – The Canadian Dental Association believes the Federal government’s approach to universal dental care should include preserving private dental insurance programs and using existing clinics. The Association has made several recommendations regarding universal dental care and is hoping the government will have a national oral health strategy in place by April 2025. (Castanet)
  • B.C. To Offer Free Contraception – British Columbia is set to become the first province to make prescription contraception free for all residents. It is estimated that the move will save an individual about $300 a year and as much as $10,000 over a person’s lifetime. (Global News)
  • Ukraine May Abandon Bakhmut – Ukrainian is signaling that the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut may soon be impossible to defend as Russia intensifies it’s attack on the city. Less than three weeks ago Zelenskiy declared that they would not surrender Bakhmut but now he said his army won’t hold the city “at any cost and with everyone dying.” (National Post)

Canada And Beyond

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  • Trudeau Defends Han Dong – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited “anti-Asian racism” in defending Liberal MP Han Dong regarding allegations he was part of a Chinese foreign interference network. Global News reported Dong was a “witting affiliate” in China’s attempts to help him become a Liberal candidate and that Canada’s spy agency urged Trudeau’s office before that year’s federal election to drop him as a Liberal candidate. (Toronto Star)
  • Canada Bans TikTok – Canada is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices due to concerns over the Chinese-owned video sharing app. Canada joins the European Union’s executive branch and some U.S states and Congress who have banned the app from employee devices. Canada’s federal privacy watchdog and some provincial counterparts are also investigating whether the app complies with Canadian privacy legislation. (The Guardian)
  • Fox Chairman Admits Hosts Endorsed False Claims – Rupert Murdoch, the Chairman of Fox Corporation, acknowledged that some Fox News hosts endorsed false claims regarding the 2020 presidential election being stolen. The remarks were made public in a legal filing as part of Dominion’s lawsuit against Fox News. (CNN)

Canada And Beyond

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  • Foreign Meddling In Canadian Elections – There is a push for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call an independent inquiry into foreign influencing in Canadian politics. National security officials had warned Trudeau that the Chinese government had deployed an extensive network to influence Canadian elections, including the 2021 election where Conservative candidates where targeted in the hopes of a Liberal minority government. (Global News)
  • Migrant’s Boat Breaks Apart – At least 45 migrants died when their wooden boat smashed into rocky reefs and broke apart off southern Italy. At least 80 people were found alive, some of whom reached the shore. The boat departed from Turkey with most of the passengers coming from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia. (Castanet)
  • Report: COVID-19 Came From Lab – According to a newly updated classified report from the United States Department of Energy, COVID-19 was probably the result of a leak from a laboratory. The report, which is in line with the FBI’s belief that the virus probably spread after a mishap at a laboratory, arose out of new intelligence and was made with “low confidence”. However, four other U.S. intelligence agencies believe with “low confidence” that COVID-19 took place through natural transmission. (Aljazeera)

Canada And Beyond

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  • China Calls For Cease-Fire – China is calling for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine in a proposal that appears to have little chance of being accepted by those who support Ukraine. The proposal calls for ending hostilities, protecting nuclear plants, resuming peace talks and eliminating unilateral sanctions which the U.S. has consistently rejected. The proposal also does not address land that Russia has seized in Ukraine. (Bloomberg)
  • Not Supporting Ukraine Could Be Devastating – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the consequences of Canada and its allies not supporting Ukraine “could be devastating” for the entire planet. Trudeau added that Ukraine is not just fighting for protection of their own territory but is also fighting to uphold the rules that underpin all of our democracies. (Global News)
  • TikTok Under Investigation – Canada’s privacy commissioner has launched an investigation into the social media app TikTok. The investigation will examine whether TikTok’s practices are in compliance with Canadian privacy, whether valid and meaningful consent is being obtained and if the company is meeting its transparency obligations. (Daily Hive)
  • Baldwin Pleads Not Guilty – Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust. Prosecutors have accused Baldwin of criminal negligence and he could face up to 18 months in prison if found guilty. (BBC)

Canada And Beyond

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  • Winter Storm Causes Cancelled Flights – Harsh winter conditions are causing travel disruptions across Canada. Air Canada had delayed or cancelled more than 100 flights by Wednesday afternoon and WestJet had rescheduled or cancelled nearly a third of its trips. Airlines in the United States had cancelled 2,200 flights as of early Wednesday afternoon. (CBC News)
  • Calls To Close Quebec Border Crossing – Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to close the Roxham Road border crossing into Quebec as the number of asylum seekers coming across the border has risen in recent months. However, Trudeau said closing the border crossing in Quebec is a “simplistic solution” and the best solution would be to renegotiate the Canada-U.S. migrant pact. (CTV News)
  • Google Temporarily Limits News For Some Canadians – Google is temporarily blocking some Canadian users from viewing news content created by Canadian media companies as it assesses possible responses to Bill C-18. The Online News Act would require companies such as Google and Facebook to compensate Canadian media companies for republishing their content on their platforms. (CP24)
  • China Meeting with Putin – China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday. Before the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said that China was “deeply worried” about the potential for escalation in the Ukraine war and called on the U.S. and other countries to “immediately stop fueling the fire”. (Global News)