Saturday 27 August 2022

Canada: Chief nursing officer appointed to deal with Canada's 'health-care crisis'


CBC News on Youtube shows that Leigh Chapman, a 20-year veteran of the profession, has been named chief nursing officer after the role was scrapped a decade ago. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Chapman's appointment will help deal with the 'health-care crisis' currently being felt across the country.

Health Canada poised to approve new Omicron-targeting vaccine


CBC News: The National on Youtube shows that Health Canada says it could make a decision on approving Moderna's new Omicron-targeting vaccine within two weeks. If approved, it will leave Canadians with a decision: wait for the new shot, or get boosted with an existing vaccine.

Germany signs energy pact with Canada to reduce reliance on Russian gas


CBC News: The National on Youtube shows that Canada has signed a deal with Germany to export hydrogen fuel produced in Atlantic Canada to Europe as Germany seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian gas.

Saturday 20 August 2022

Canada: Airport delays persist in Toronto, Montreal


CBC News on Youtube shows that while some improvement has been noted, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra is still facing questions as airport delays and cancellations in Toronto and Montreal continue to pose challenges for travellers.

Canada temporarily bans import of handguns as of Aug. 19


CTV News on Youtube shows that CTV's Mike Le Couteur says interim measures to ban handguns were put into place due to a rise in gun purchases after Bill-C21 was announced.

Canada’s transport minister blames frustrating airport delays on pandemic


Global News on Youtube shows the exciting story.

From long lines to cancelled flights and lost luggage, Canadian airports have been plagued with problems all summer.

According to Ottawa, daily passenger traffic has jumped 250 per cent since the start of the year and airlines and airports have not been able to handle the increased demand.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said on Friday that the pandemic was to blame for problems at Canadian airports and that ArriveCan was not contributing to the delays. But opposition MPs say the federal government should shoulder at least part of that responsibility.

Tom Vernon reports on the frustrations for Canadian travelers and Ottawa’s response to the problem.

One of Canada's largest train bridges stands almost forgotten in New Brunswick


CBC News on Youtube shows that for 112 years, the Salmon River train bridge has spanned a valley in northwestern New Brunswick, but locals say few in the province would know about it.
To read more: http://www.cbc.ca/1.6551446

Canadian confidence in the value of real estate


BNN Bloomberg on Youtube shows that Nik Nanos, chief data scientist and founder at Nanos Research, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss his company's latest consumer confidence survey among Canadians. Nanos says that sentiment for Canada's economy is still net negative and talks on declining real estate confidence in the country.

Monday 8 August 2022

Canada called Putin’s bluff with turbine return for Russian pipeline: Joly


Global News on Youtube shows that Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says that Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing games with G7 countries over energy exports to Europe.

"We called his bluff. It is now clear that Putin is weaponizing energy flows to Europe. The world sees through his game and that’s why we decided to make sure we took a strong stance and a difficult decision by sending back the turbine directly to Germany," Joly said during a news conference alongside her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, in Montreal on Wednesday.

Canada issued a special sanctions permit that allowed the import, repair and re-export of up to six Russian turbines in a bid to help Germany as it struggles with energy supply.

Russia has claimed that the turbine Canada returned to Germany wasn’t properly repaired and lacks the proper paperwork.

Energy in Europe is an interesting topic. Oil is certainly one of the largest primary energy sources in Europe. It is mostly used for transportation and various heating. Oil production is relatively low in Europe, with significant production only in the North Sea. Most of Europe's so-called oil comes from imports (about 90% for the EU28).

It seems also that Russia damaged some pipelines in the Ukraine, after the country's war operation entered into Ukraine.

Electricity in Europe is interesting. Renewable energy ideas are out there. The twelve newer EU Member States in Central and Eastern Europe plan to increase wind power capacity from the 6.4 gigawatts installed at the end of 2012 to 16 gigawatts by 2020.

If so-called renewable electricity production in the EU continued to grow at the same rate as it did from 2005 to 2010, it would account for 36.4% of electricity in 2020 and 51.6% in 2030, following.

In March 2022, the European Commission released its comprehensive "REPowerEU" plan to promote renewable energy in Europe.

Amnesty International accuses Ukraine of committing war crimes


Human rights groups criticized some Ukrainian war actions.

Recent reports probe potential violations of international law committed by Russian and Ukrainian fighters.

On Thursday, Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnès Callamard said there is "a pattern of Ukrainian forces putting civilians at risk" and "being in a defensive position" is not an exemption from following the rules of war.

More Reading Here:


Human Shields - Is it a war crime to hide in civilian buildings?​

According to Section 6(1)(b)(xxiii), utilizing the presence of a civilian or other protected person to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations - constitutes a war crime in international armed conflicts.

The Fourth Geneva Convention [1949 Geneva Convention IV] prohibits the use of civilians to shield certain areas from attack and provides that the presence of civilians does not shield an otherwise permissible military target from attack.

Canada to send more troops to Latvia, says defense minister


CBC News on Youtube shows that defense Minister Anita Anand says Canada is working hard with NATO allies to fulfill the commitment made to send additional troops to Latvia as part of an effort to dramatically increase the alliance's military presence in that country.

Canada's boreal forest is transforming due to climate change


CBC News on Youtube shows that scientists say Canada's boreal forest may shift north as pests, wildfires and changing precipitation cause southern parts of the forest to die off. Meteorologist Christy Climenhaga explains.

How is Ukraine using artillery sent by Canada, and other allies on the front lines?


Global News on Youtube shows that this week, Global News was escorted to a secret location near the front lines in Kharkiv to observe long-range artillery sent by allies, including Canada, to help Ukraine push back Russia’s assault. 

Canada sent a number of M777 howitzers to Ukraine in April as part of a $130-million support package. It has since sent millions more in replacement barrels and ammunition, among other lethal aid. 

Long-range artillery such as M777s have become crucial in attempts to turn the tide of the war, allowing Ukrainians to target Russian troops and locations from farther away and in turn prevent further strikes on Ukrainian forces. 

Crystal Goomansingh met with troops using these heavy weapons.

Canada sending troops to train Ukrainian civilians to fight Russian forces


Global News on Youtube shows that Canada is sending military members to the United Kingdom, where they will help teach Ukrainian civilians to fight Russian forces. 

Defence Minister Anita Anand announced that 225 Canadian military personnel will deploy to the U.K., working with the British Army to turn those civilians who have signed up to fight Russia and defend their country, into soldiers. 

And as Mercedes Stephenson explains, there's another much more secretive mission Canadians are involved in on the ground in Ukraine.

Sunday 7 August 2022

Canada's ban on importing handguns will begin Aug. 19, says minister


Global News on Youtube shows Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly announced Friday that the government's ban on the import of handguns will begin in Aug. 19 and last until Parliament is able to vote on legislation tabled in May.
 
The government tabled gun control legislation in May that includes a national freeze on the importation, purchase, sale and transfer of handguns in Canada. That law did not pass before Parliament took its summer break, and is set to be debated again when MPs return to Ottawa in the fall.
 
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly also spoke about the temporary ban, saying she has the authority to ban any import or export permit in Canada. The ban will also prevent businesses from importing handguns into Canada, with a few exceptions that mirror those in legislation tabled in May.

Experts urge Canadian officials to take more action on monkeypox spread


Global News on Youtube has the informative stories.

Following the USA move in declaring the spread of monkeypox a public health emergency, Canada is being urged to do the same, as experts are urging more action to be taken to curb the outbreak.

Canada has reported 890 monkeypox cases as of Aug. 3, with Ontario reporting the most cases, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said on Wednesday. Ontario has reported 423 cases while there are 373 cases in Quebec, 78 in British Columbia, 13 in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan and one in Yukon.

But as Jamie Mauracher reports, there are also concerns about vaccine supply.

Canada: Ontario nurses union calls on governments to fix crisis in hospitals


Global News on youtube has the exciting stories.

On this episode of Global National: The Ontario Nurses' Association is demanding more help from all levels of government across Canada, as the crisis in the country's understaffed hospitals deepens. Seán O'Shea reports on the difficult search for solutions. 

Canada is sending military members to the United Kingdom, where they will help teach Ukrainian civilians to fight Russian forces. As Mercedes Stephenson explains, there's another much more secretive mission Canadians are involved in on the ground in Ukraine.

And with a shortage of supplies and staff, one bombed-out hospital in Ukraine's northern Kharkiv region is desperately trying to keep going as Russia's war rages on. Crystal Goomansingh has a first-hand look at what's left of the facility and the danger medical teams must endure to treat patients. 

Tensions keep rising in Asia, as China conducts its largest military drills yet around Taiwan, seemingly in response to USA House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the small nation that China regards as its own. Redmond Shannon reports on the escalation, including a slew of new ballistic missile launches.

Canadian troops to join British-led mission to train Ukrainian recruits


CBC News on Youtube shows that Canada is prepared to commit a contingent of soldiers to the British Army's program to turn Ukrainian civilians into fighting troops, CBC News has learned.

More voices in Canadian health care cry out for help


Global News on Youtube shows on this exciting episode of Global National: Every day, there’s an increase in voices in Canada’s health-care system crying out for help as staffing shortages choke the system. Emergency room doctors and nurses are increasingly feeling the strain. As Ross Lord reports, Ontario’s health-care unions are realizing a five-point plan to address the crisis in their province.

Following the USA move in declaring the spread of monkeypox a public health emergency, Canada is being urged to do the same. But as Jamie Mauracher reports, there are also concerns about vaccine supply.

Plus, the Canadian federal government plans to fast-track a ban on the import of handguns into the country - without the approval of Parliament. Mercedes Stephenson explains how the feds are using a regulatory measure that comes into effect in just two weeks to do so.

Canada currently has more than one million job vacancies and not enough workers to fill them. As Anne Gaviola reports, labour experts say prolonged staffing shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic are making the case for more job automation.