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Canadian-owned company accused of supplying Syria’s chemical weapons program - globalnews.ca - China - Iran - Canada - Eu - Russia - city Vancouver - Bulgaria - Syria - city Beirut - city Miami - city Damascus
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Canadian-owned company accused of supplying Syria’s chemical weapons program
chemical weapons program.Working from Damascus and Beirut, the company is accused of importing materials used to produce “chemical weapons delivery systems.”According to the allegations, the firm purchases metals and alloys from foreign suppliers for the branch of Syria’s chemical warfare department that manufactures missiles.It also allegedly attempted to procure the aeronautical-grade aluminum and steel that goes into Fateh-110s, Iranian ballistic missiles used by the Syrian regime and that Russia reportedly wants.The allegations have landed the company and its owners, Chadi and Mohammad Houranieh, on European sanctions lists.Their shipments have been seized in three countries, their assets have been frozen, and they are banned from travelling to Europe.The Houraniehs are the only Canadian citizens sanctioned by the European Union, aside from a Hezbollah bomber from Vancouver who blew up a bus in Bulgaria.But in interviews with Global News, Chadi Houranieh called the allegations “absurd.”While he once did business with Syria, he said it was unrelated to weapons.“I have nothing to do with any chemical program.”Houranieh, 44, grew up in Mississauga, in a house near the Sheridan Mall. He went to Toronto Blue Jays games at what was then called SkyDome.“I personally love it,” he said of Canada.He wanted to stay, but after studying at the University of Miami, he returned to Damascus to help with the family business.Founded in 1949, Houranieh & Sons imports sheeting, piping and other metal products it purchases from Canada, Europe and China.
Global News - Duane Bratt - Danielle Smith - Alberta Premier decries big tech and government censorship as Facebook account temporarily suspended - globalnews.ca
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Alberta Premier decries big tech and government censorship as Facebook account temporarily suspended
Danielle Smith took to Twitter Wednesday to announce that she had been suspended from posting on Facebook for a “few days” – pointing a finger at “big tech and government censorship.”In her tweet, Smith wrote: “Big tech and government censorship is becoming a danger to free speech around the world … As the Premier of a province of 4.6 million Albertans – if they can prevent me from communicating with you, imagine what they can do to any one of us.“Regardless of our political leanings, we must all stand against censorship.”The premier’s office said in a statement they are waiting for clarification from Facebook about the ban, and the information received so far indicates the ban will last for a “few days.”The statement did not provide what explanation, if any, the premier had received about why the ban was put in place.Global News also reached out to the social media platform but did not hear back.Danielle Smith was re-elected as premier on May 29, representing the United Conservative Party.Political scientist Duane Bratt said he’s curious to know what she’s been banned for, and that should have been made clear in the message she received from Facebook.“Even if that notice doesn’t include the reasons, why can’t they share that?” he asked. Global News asked the premier’s office for proof of the ban, but they did not provide any.“Why are they going on and announcing she is being suspended without any of the proof or the screenshot, or why that’s occurring.”Smith has been very outspoken on social media, even before she first became premier in October.“She’s calling it censorship and the irony of that is just how many Albertans she has blocked from her Twitter account.
Global News - As demand returns, can short-term rentals co-exist with housing affordability? - globalnews.ca - Usa - Canada
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As demand returns, can short-term rentals co-exist with housing affordability?
short-term rentals are renewing scrutiny on the role platforms such as Airbnb play in making housing less affordable for some Canadians.Experts who spoke to Global News say there’s a clear correlation between the prominence of short-term rentals in a city and the affordability of rents and home prices, while a spokesperson for Airbnb says there’s no proof that the platform is making housing more expensive for local residents.Pushes to regulate the short-term rental market like new legislation passed this week in Quebec, however, are showing promise to experts who monitor the impact of Airbnb and others on improving housing affordability in Canada.Quebec’s new regulations and the conversation about housing affordability in Canada come as Airbnb itself is projecting a “much larger return to summer travel.”Nathan Rotman, Airbnb’s regional lead in Canada and the northeastern United States, says much of the travel demand in Canada observed by the platform comes from budget-conscious Canadians who are travelling domestically but nonetheless want to get out of the house this summer after years of pandemic disruptions.“We’re definitely seeing people return to urban centres in a way that they hadn’t at the height of the pandemic, when they were looking to reconnect with family and friends and book something much more rural and remote,” he tells Global News.Bram Gallagher is an economist with AirDNA, a third-party site that scrapes data from Airbnb and Expedia-owned competitor VRBO to track the short-term rental market for investors and the platform’s hosts.Gallagher confirms Rotman’s read on the short-term rental market: “demand is up,” he tells Global News.April, for example, saw 1.4 million short-term rental stays in Canada, up
Donald Trump - Why Trump’s ‘gross mishandling’ of classified info should alarm U.S. allies - globalnews.ca - Usa - Britain - Australia - state Florida - Canada - New Zealand
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Why Trump’s ‘gross mishandling’ of classified info should alarm U.S. allies
Donald Trump found himself looking at something he had no clearance to see.Spilled on the floor of a storage room at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and estate — a room easily accessible from the pool patio, and near a liquor supply closet and other high-traffic areas — were allegedly the contents of several boxes of documents Trump had brought to Florida from Washington at the end of his presidency.The boxes had been moved into the storage room from other parts of the club, including a ballroom and bathroom, at Trump’s direction the previous summer, according to a federal indictment that was unsealed Friday.That indictment says one of the documents on the floor was marked “SECRET//REL TO USA, FVEY” — a classification marking that indicated the information could only be viewed by intelligence agencies within the Five Eyes alliance of Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.The aide, Walt Nauta, took two pictures of the mess with his phone and texted another employee of Trump, with the Five Eyes-only document in full view, the indictment states.“I opened the door and found this…” Nauta is quoted as having texted.“Oh no oh no,” the employee texted back.Trump’s alleged withholding of that document is one of the 37 federal criminal charges he’s now facing, accusing him of illegally retaining classified government documents after leaving the White House and then conspiring to obstruct a federal probe of the matter.Nauta, who worked for Trump at the White House and Mar-a-Lago, faces six counts in the case for allegedly helping to hide some of the sought-after materials and making false statements to investigators.The indictment presents a series of stunning examples of how Trump appears to have handled
Justin Trudeau - David Johnston - David Johnston says he will resign as foreign interference rapporteur - globalnews.ca - China - Canada - county Elliott - city Pierre, county Elliott - county Johnston
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David Johnston says he will resign as foreign interference rapporteur
Justin Trudeau to look into allegations of foreign interference in Canada, is resigning his position, Global News has confirmed via a senior government source and a copy of Johnston’s resignation letter.The former governor general has faced weeks of scrutiny over what the opposition parties called a conflict of interest due to his ties to Trudeau’s family and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.The House of Commons last week passed a non-binding resolution calling for Johnston to step down over the “appearance of bias.”“When I undertook the task of Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference, my objective was to help build trust in our democratic institutions,” Johnston wrote in his resignation letter to Trudeau.“I have concluded that, given the highly partisan atmosphere around my appointment and work, my leadership has had the opposite effect.”Johnston said he will leave the role no later than the end of the month, but hopes to deliver a “brief” final report before that time.The resignation marks a sudden turn from Johnston’s commitment to stay on as special rapporteur in the wake of the House motion, which was brought by the NDP. At that time, Johnston said he would only take instructions on his work and his future from the Trudeau government, not Parliament.Trudeau has continued to stand by Johnston despite the opposition’s accusations of bias.
Statistics Canada - Andrew Grantham - Unemployment rate rises for the 1st time since August amid ‘cracks’ in job market - globalnews.ca - Canada
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Unemployment rate rises for the 1st time since August amid ‘cracks’ in job market
unemployment rate rose to 5.2 per cent in May, Statistics Canada said Friday, a sign of weakening in the country’s tight labour market that will help inform the Bank of Canada’s future interest rate decisions.Employment overall was little changed in the month, the agency said, with a modest 17,000 jobs lost. Employment fell among youth aged 15-24 and rose among those aged 25-54.While part-time employment rose to the tune of 15,500 jobs in May, Canadian employers collectively cut 32,700 full-time positions, according to the report.The unemployment rate rose for the first time since August 2022, StatCan said, up from 5.0 per cent in April.The job report this morning comes after the Bank of Canada’s decision this week to raise its key interest rate target by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.75 per cent.In raising its key rate, the central bank said the labour market remains tight, reflecting continued strong demand for workers.“Some cracks appeared within the Canadian labour market in May, but these may not yet be wide enough to convince the Bank of Canada that inflation is about to meaningfully cool off,” said CIBC senior economist Andrew Grantham in a note to clients Friday morning.He suggested the weaker jobs figures might see markets scale back expectations of additional rate hikes to come, but the Bank of Canada’s policymakers may need to see “further softening” to convince them they can leave rate unchanged.Average hourly wages were up 5.1 per cent in May, continuing to outpace inflation.
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