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China goes on charm offensive at Asian Games, but doesn’t back down from regional confrontations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:16 GMT

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — A month before the Asian Games, China released a new national map, doubling down on its claims to almost the entire South China Sea and disputed border territories with India. A few days before the event, it flew more than 100 warplanes toward Taiwan, stepping up its regular military harassment of the self-governing democratic island that Beijing claims for its own. At the games themselves, however, outward aggression has taken a backseat to unctuous charm as China sought to win the hearts of more than 40 Asian nations and regions by dazzling them with technology and slathering them with praise. In a personal appearance in the eastern city of Hangzhou, into which the government poured billions of dollars for the two-week games, Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed leaders and officials at an opening banquet on Saturday. “The Asian Games embodies the Asian people’s shared desire for peace, unity and inclusiveness,” Xi told them, according to his prepared remar...

In the news today: NDP and Bloc ask Rota to resign, Quebec daycare crash

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:16 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…Here’s what else we’re watching … NDP, Bloc say Speaker should resign after honouring man who fought for NazisSome opposition leaders are calling on House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota step down from his position after he invited a man who fought for the Nazis into Parliament.Yaroslav Hunka was invited by Rota, without knowledge to the rest of the House of Commons, to attend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to Parliament last Friday.The 98-year-old Hunka lives in Rota’s constituency and is a veteran of the First Ukrainian Division, which was also known as the S-S 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis. Accused in Quebec daycare crash returning to courtA Quebec man accused of killing two young children by driving a city bus into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to return...

Neve Campbell on her ballet past, Karen Kain and the need for change in dance world

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:16 GMT

TORONTO — Dancer-turned-actress Neve Campbell says she hopes her documentary about the National Ballet of Canada sheds light on some of the uglier aspects of the dance world that demand change.Campbell says it’s one of the reasons she agreed to produce the film “Swan Song,” which traces the company’s 2022 production of “Swan Lake” as envisioned by principal dancer-turned-artistic director Karen Kain.Directed by Chelsea McMullan, the feature includes interviews with young dancers who address the mental health struggles, racism, classism and rivalries that dog the profession. It opens Friday after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival.The film centres on Kain as she recounts a glittering international career that includes a celebrated partnership with Russian superstar Rudolf Nureyev and culminates with her vision for a more modern take on the quintessential romantic crowd-pleaser, “Swan Lake.”Cameras follow Kain as the National Ballet of Canada attempts to rebound fro...

Arguments set to begin in Peter Nygard sex-assault case in Toronto

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:16 GMT

TORONTO — Arguments in the Toronto sexual-assault case against former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard are expected to begin today.The 82-year-old appeared in court in a wheelchair last week to plead not guilty to five counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement.Nygard, the founder of a now-defunct international women’s clothing company, has been accused of using his position in the fashion industry to lure women and girls.He founded Nygard International in Winnipeg in 1967, and for years Nygard stores throughout the city were draped in photos of him.He stepped down as chairman of the clothing company in February 2020 before it filed for bankruptcy.The trial is expected to last approximately seven weeks.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2023.The Canadian Press

Man accused of driving bus into Quebec daycare, killing two kids, returning to court

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:16 GMT

LAVAL, Que. — A Quebec man accused of killing two young children by driving a city bus into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to return to court today.Pierre Ny St-Amand was arrested after a bus crashed into the front of a daycare in Laval, Que., on Feb. 8, killing two four-year-olds and injuring six other children.The 51-year-old bus driver has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder as well as seven other charges, including attempted murder and aggravated assault.The case, which has been postponed several times, was last in court in August, when the Crown requested more time to disclose evidence.St-Amand, who remains detained, was judged fit to stand trial in February following a psychological assessment that took place after his arrest.A separate evaluation assessing St-Amand’s mental state at the time of his alleged crimes and whether he should be considered criminally responsible was sealed by a judge in April.This report by The Canadian Press was first pub...

Pipestone shareholders to vote on Strathcona Resources’ buyout offer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:16 GMT

CALGARY — A dissident shareholder’s campaign against a proposed merger between Pipestone Energy Corp. and Strathcona Resources Ltd. will be put to the test Wednesday.Shareholders of Calgary-based Pipestone are set to vote on a proposal which would see privately-held Strathcona Resources buy them out in an all-stock deal, creating a combined company with an initial market capitalization of $8.6 billion.The deal would also see Strathcona — one of North America’s fastest growing oil and gas producers — go public.The combined company would be the fifth largest oil producer in Canada, according to a Pipestone news release, with current production of approximately 185,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day across the Cold Lake, Lloydminster and Montney oil-producing regions.Pipestone’s board supports the deal, arguing the company’s shareholders will be gaining “ongoing exposure to one of the largest, well diversified, upstream producers in North America — one ...

No new oil, coal projects needed as fossil fuel demand to peak this decade: IEA

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:16 GMT

CALGARY — Even if no new government climate policies are introduced before 2030, global demand for fossil fuels will still peak before the end of the decade, a new report by the International Energy Agency states.The report released Tuesday says the worldwide rollout of key technologies such as renewable power, electric vehicles and heat pumps is happening so quickly that demand for coal, oil and natural gas is set to peak within the next 10 years.The IEA says this means that no new major oil and gas extraction projects are needed anywhere around the globe, nor any new coal mines, mine extensions or unabated coal plants.“If the world is successful in bringing down fossil demand quickly enough to reach net zero emissions by 2050, new projects would face major commercial risks,” the IEA stated.Still, the report’s authors pointed out that while the transition is occurring, more still needs to be done to hold global warming to the 1.5-degree Celsius target the internat...

Developer says it’s moving to build 5,000 rental units because of Liberals’ GST break

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:16 GMT

OTTAWA — A Toronto-based real estate company says it is planning to build 5,000 new rental units in urban centres across the country as a result of the federal government’s decision to eliminate GST charges on rental developments.The CEO of Dream Unlimited Corp., Michael Cooper, says high interest rates and construction costs had put many projects on pause. “A lot of projects that we had hoped to be able to start haven’t penciled out,” Cooper said.But the federal government’s announcement that it would eliminate GST charges off rental developments — and the expectation that provinces would follow suit — has changed the calculation for Dream.Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland introduced legislation last week that would provide a 100 per cent GST rebate for new rental developments. The measure has been called for by housing experts, advocates and developers who say more incentives are needed to spur purpose-built rentals.Cooper says the full rebate is a g...

EU received over 83,000 asylum applications in June 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:16 GMT

In June 2023, 83,385 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, indicating a 25% increase compared with June 2022 (66,845). There were also 5,795 subsequent applicants, representing a 9% decrease compared with June 2022 (6,365).This information comes from the monthly asylum data published by Eurostat. The article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on monthly asylum statistics.Source dataset: migr_asyappctzm Syrian nationals: largest group of asylum-seekersAs in previous months, in June 2023, Syrians were the largest group of people seeking asylum (13 150 first-time applicants). They were followed by Afghans (7 775), ahead of Venezuelans (6 925) and Colombians (6 165).Following Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, there was a significant increase in Ukrainian first-time asylum applicants (from 2 100 in February 2022 to 12 185 in March 2022), but the numbers have been dec...

Harriette Cole: I hate to think it, but maybe I’m a helicopter mom

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:16 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I never thought I was a micromanager as a mother, but now I’m not so sure. There are terms like “helicopter mom,” which I hate, but I see that I am way more involved in my son’s life than he would like.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: This macho guy is now being kind to me, and I’m suspicious Advice | Harriette Cole: Should I tell my wife what my friend said about us? Advice | Harriette Cole: I didn’t mean to get the Airbnb host banned Advice | Harriette Cole: Is it a bad idea to hang out with this man so I can meet his friends? Advice | Harriette Cole: I abandoned my home, and now I’ve come back to a huge mess He is in college in another state, living on his own. He is making his own decisions, but I can’t help but check in on him to see what he’s doing. College is expensive, and I need to make sure he is doing the work. We ca...