In the news today: Canada removes 41 diplomats from India after immunity threats

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/10/2023 (1067 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

Canada has pulled most envoys out of India due to diplomatic immunity threats: Joly

Canada has removed most of its diplomatic presence from India after New Delhi threatened to strip diplomatic immunities from them and their families, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Thursday.

Officials said the move would slow down the processing of immigration applications, and Canada has issued a travel advisory for regions of India where it says it’s been forced to reduce consular staffing.

Relations with New Delhi have hit a deep freeze since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a month ago that Canadian intelligence services were investigating “a potential link” between India’s government and the killing of a Sikh leader in British Columbia.

Police liaison testimony continues in convoy trial

A police liaison officer who was in touch with organizer Chris Barber during the “Freedom Convoy” protests last year is set to continue her testimony in his criminal trial today.

Barber’s defence lawyer is expected to resume cross-examination of Const. Nicole Bach from the Ottawa Police Service this morning.

Bach told a courtroom on Thursday that Barber conveyed in the early stages of the protest that the demonstration had gotten “out of control.”

Here’s what else we’re watching …

How to avoid misinformation on Israel-Hamas war

As the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, fact-checkers have stressed the need to be careful when recirculating photos and videos seen on social media that purport to illustrate the violence on the ground.

In many cases, users of online platforms have unknowingly shared images posted by others that later turned out to be faked or misidentified. Even when unintentional, experts say amplifying false information during a time of conflict can have dire consequences.

Jeffrey Dvorkin, a senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Massey College and former managing editor of CBC Radio, said he believes misinformation on social media has never been more rampant.

Canada resists calls to ban plastic waste exports

Images of foreign trash piling up around homes and temples in a town in Myanmar are renewing calls for Canada and other wealthy countries to stop exporting their plastic garbage to the developing world.

The Canadian Press, in partnership with investigative newsroom Lighthouse Reports, is collaborating with media outlets in Thailand, Myanmar and Europe to document the growing problem.

More than 100 countries have now agreed to stop exporting plastic waste entirely under an amendment to the Basel Convention, an international treaty that governs hazardous waste shipments.

Canada is not among them.

Quebec seeks to retool construction industry

How many workers does it take to shift a wall in Quebec? Too many, says Isabelle Rinfret of construction and real estate management company Arvisais, based roughly 95 kilometres northeast of Montreal, in Louiseville, Que.

Provincial regulation certifies 25 construction trades in Quebec, and divisions between them are rigid — a tradesperson can’t do a stitch of work outside their distinct area of practice, leading to situations where several people may be required to complete seemingly simple work, like moving a wall, that involves multiple steps or skills.

But the province is toying with the idea of relaxing some of those barriers. Amid an affordable housing crunch and push to update public infrastructure, Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet says allowing workers to carry out select, related tasks across trades could help accelerate construction projects.

100 days in, challenges loom for Chow

Olivia Chow says it’s time for the display of congratulatory cards behind her desk in the mayor’s office to be put away.

One hundred days into her tenure as Toronto mayor, it could be taken as a sign the celebration – and the transition – is over.

The first 100 days – a milestone reached Friday – have seen Chow look to make her mark on the walls of the mayor’s office and city council’s agenda.

In recent weeks, she made shelter supports for asylum seekers a priority, boosted transit service, hiked the vacant home tax and promised expedited approvals for CafeTO, the city’s seasonal sidewalk patio program dogged by complaints from business owners.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2023.