The Prime Minister also said Canada will impose new sanctions on 40 Russian individuals and five entities in connection with the Kremlin and Russia’s defence sector….reports Asian Lite News
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, announcing more military aid to the war-torn nation and more sanctions against Russia.
According to an official statement, Trudeau said that Canada would be providing Ukraine with an additional military aid worth of C$50 million ($40 million), including drone cameras, high-resolution satellite imagery, small arms as well as ammunition, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Prime Minister also said Canada will impose new sanctions on 40 Russian individuals and five entities in connection with the Kremlin and Russia’s defence sector.
Trudeau announced the reopening of the Canadian embassy in Kiev, which was closed on February 12.
According to the Ukrainian presidential press service, Zelensky said “Canada’s defence support for Ukraine was discussed in detail”.
Zelensky said negotiations are underway with the Canadian side to lift trade restrictions for Ukrainian exporters and abolish the visa regime for Ukrainian citizens.
The event started with Canadian national anthem and a moment of silence for journalists who laid down their lives in the line of their duty globally….reports Asian Lite News
Members of Punjabi Press Club of British Columbia (PPCBC) have come out to hold a rally against growing repression of journalists and shrinking press freedom.
Held at the Holland Park in Surrey on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday, the rally was attended by the Mayor Dough McCallum and city councillor Mandeep Nagra, besides BC Federation of Labour Secretary-Treasurer Sussanne Skidmore. The three of them addressed the gathering and strongly condemned the attack on press freedom.
Special messages of solidarity with the media from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and two MPs — Sukh Dhaliwal and Parm Bains — were also read out by the organisers.
The event started with Canadian national anthem and a moment of silence for journalists who laid down their lives in the line of their duty globally.
Many of the rally participants believe India is becoming unsafe for journalists.
The speakers were unanimous in their demand for the release of jailed journalists in India, and halting physical and mental harassment of mediapersons by authorities and their supporters.
They agreed that the female journalists remain more vulnerable. Slogans in support of press freedom were also raised by the participants.
Those who spoke on the occasion were PPCBC president Baljinder Kaur, former presidents Gurvinder Singh Dhaliwal and Jarnail Singh Artist, cofounder of the club Gurpreet Singh Sahota, secretary Khuspal Gill and a veteran member Kuldeep Singh. Gurpreet Singh, the publisher of Radical Desi, an online magazine also spoke.
The multi-billion dollar project from Stellantis will support plants in Windsor and Brampton, Ontario, implementing flexible vehicle platforms at both plants and increasing its production of EV….reports Asian Lite News
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new federal investment in project funding for automaker Stellantis that will modernize assembly plants and increase the production of electric vehicles (EV).
According to a statement from Trudeau’s office, the government is investing up to C$529 million ($423 million) into this project, reports Xinhua news agency.
Ontario province is also supporting the project with an investment of up to C$513 million.
“We’re building a world-class Canadian auto industry for generations to come, an innovative economy, and a clean, strong future for everyone. This is what a healthy environment and a healthy economy looks like,” Trudeau said.
“Ontario has everything it needs to be North America’s auto manufacturing powerhouse once again,” said Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, the province with the largest population in Canada.
The multi-billion dollar project from Stellantis will support plants in Windsor and Brampton, Ontario, implementing flexible vehicle platforms at both plants and increasing its production of EV.
Stellantis’ investment will also support the creation of a state-of-the-art Battery Pack Testing Facility for North America at the Automotive Research and Development Centre (ARDC) in Windsor, which will further secure Canada’s position as a leader in EV innovation.
Activities at the ARDC are already underway, with an addition to the existing building to be complete by the end of 2023, according to the news release.
The Canadian government is putting in place a sales mandate that will ensure that 100 per cent of new light-duty vehicle sales are zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2035.
Accelerating the ZEV target will support the country’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the statement said.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was “absolutely right” for more and more people to describe Russia’s actions in Ukraine as genocide…reports Asian Lite News
Canadian lawmakers voted unanimously on Wednesday to call Russia’s attacks in Ukraine a “genocide”, with members of parliament saying there was “ample evidence of systemic and massive war crimes against humanity” being committed by Moscow.
The Canadian House of Commons’ motion said war crimes by Russia include mass atrocities, systematic instances of willful killing of Ukrainian civilians, the desecration of corpses, forcible transfer of Ukrainian children, torture, physical harm, mental harm, and rape.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was “absolutely right” for more and more people to describe Russia’s actions in Ukraine as genocide, supporting an accusation made by U.S. President Joe Biden a day earlier.
Biden had said earlier in April that the Ukraine invasion amounted to genocide but had added that lawyers internationally would have to decide whether or not the invasion met the criteria for genocide.
Russia, which denies the genocide charges, calls its action in Ukraine a “special military operation” and said it was necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia. Moscow in turn accuses Ukraine of the genocide of Russian-speaking people, a charge that Ukraine dismisses as nonsense.
Canada is among a number of countries to have imposed sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. On Wednesday, it imposed further sanctions on 203 individuals whom it says are complicit in Russia’s attempted annexation of certain areas of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
The Canadian government has also said it will change its sanctions laws to allow for funds or property seized or sanctioned from Russia to be paid out to help rebuild Ukraine or to those impacted by Russia’s invasion.
These entities have provided indirect or direct support to the Russian military, the news release said….reports Asian Lite News
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly announced that Canada is imposing new sanctions on Russian defence sector.
According to a news release issued on Monday by Foreign Affairs Ministry, these new measures will impose restrictions on 33 entities in the Russian defence sector, Xinhua news agency reported.
These entities have provided indirect or direct support to the Russian military, the news release said.
Since February 24 when the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 700 individuals and entities from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Canada’s latest sanctions will impose asset freezes and prohibitions on listed entities, the release said.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Tuesday received a telephone call from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau…reports Asian Lite News
During the call, they discussed bilateral relations and the prospects of enhancing cooperation to serve their common interests.
The two leaders reviewed a number of regional and international issues of interest, with special emphasis on the latest developments of the Ukrainian crisis and ways to contain its repercussions on the humanitarian and economic levels.
Trudeau lauded the humanitarian support provided by the UAE to the affected civilians in Ukraine. He also congratulated Sheikh Mohamed on the remarkable success of Expo 2020 Dubai.
In March, Canada celebrated its Honour Day at Expo 2020 Dubai with unique cultural performances and fun activities hosted by the pavilion.
On the sidelines of the celebrations, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Mary Simon, the Governor- General of Canada, discussed ways to expand bilateral relations and promote greater business, trade and investment cooperation in various sectors.
Both sides explored new avenues to establish partnerships and expand ties using the Expo 2020 platform. The discussions touched on the exceptional opportunities that Expo 2020 Dubai provides countries across the world to identify productive cooperation that can serve the people of their countries and create a better future for all of humanity.
The Governor General of Canada commended the exceptional organisation of Expo 2020 Dubai, noting that the country’s participation under the theme ‘The Future in Mind’ has enabled it to showcase its culture and economic opportunities to the world. Canada’s pavilion features an immersive journey through its past, present and future, and invites visitors to discover the values that drive a spirit of innovation and collaboration.
The most common expected impact is upward cost pressure, tied mainly to increased prices for energy and other commodities as well as further supply chain disruptions…reports Asian Lite News
Roughly half of Canadian firms expected to be affected by the conflict in Ukraine, results from a special business survey in March have showed.
In the interviews conducted on Monday by the Bank of Canada’s regional offices with the senior management of more than 100 firms selected to reflect the composition of the gross domestic product of Canada’s business sector, 77 out of 152 firms anticipated that they would be affected by the conflict, Xinhua news agency reported.
The most common expected impact is upward cost pressure, tied mainly to increased prices for energy and other commodities as well as further supply chain disruptions, the central bank said.
Among the firms expecting the conflict to increase their input costs due to supply chain disruptions, many depend on goods coming from Europe or Asia. They anticipated rising transportation costs and longer delivery times, beyond those related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the survey revealed.
Other businesses expected delays and reduced availability of commodities. Many firms planned to pass conflict-related cost increases on to their customers, according to the survey results.
Though there is no country-wise break-up of the numbers, Indians are the top immigrant group to take up residence in Canada this year….reports Asian Lite News
Canada, which plans to admit a record 432,000 new immigrants in 2022, is on target to hit this mark as the country welcomed 108,000 newcomers in the first three months of the year.
“Canada is proud to be a destination of choice for so many people around the world, and we will continue to work hard to provide the best experience possible for them,” said Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, releasing the figures for the first quarter on Thursday.
Though there is no country-wise break-up of the numbers, Indians are the top immigrant group to take up residence in Canada this year.
In 2021, nearly 100,000 Indians became permanent residents of Canada as the country admitted a record 405,000 new immigrants in its history.
During 2021-2022, over 210,000 permanent residents also acquired Canadian citizenship.
As per figures released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), it also issued 450,000 study permit applications.
There are over 622,000 foreign students in Canada, with Indians numbering 217,410 as of December 31, 2021.
Since April is the birthday month of a towering Dalit leader and world renowned scholar Dr B.R. Ambedkar, it has a special significance for the Dalits across the globe….reports Asian Lite News
In a historic move, the New Democratic Party (NDP) government in Canada’s British Columbia province has recognised April as the Dalit History Month.
Responding to an application moved by Radical Desi, an online magazine that covers alternative politics, the provincial Attorney General and the Lt. Governor signed the proclamation declaring April 2022 as Dalit History Month.
Since April is the birthday month of a towering Dalit leader and world renowned scholar Dr B.R. Ambedkar, it has a special significance for the Dalits across the globe.
Also, the month of April is important because of the birth and death anniversaries of other Dalit icons, such as Jyotirao Phule, Mangu Ram Mugowalia and Sant Ram Udasi.
Both Ambedkar and Phule were born in Maharashtra.
Ambedkar, who was the architect of the Indian constitution and had fought against caste-based discrimination against his community, was born in Maharashtra on April 14 in 1891.
He also stood up for the rights of the women and challenged Hindu supremacy.
Phule, who was a well-respected social reformer who had denounced untouchability, was born on April 11, 1827. He was known as an educator, who believed in scientific thinking and women empowerment.
Mugowalia and Udasi on the other hand hailed from Punjab. Mugowalia, who had participated in an armed resistance against British occupation of India, was instrumental behind Dalit emancipation movement in Punjab. He died on April 22, 1980.
Udasi was a revolutionary poet, who was born on April 20, 1939. He was influenced by communist revolution and later became an inspiration for the poor working class and those resisting repression.
The British Columbia proclamation not only recognises these individuals, but also acknowledges “the strength and resiliency of the Dalit community in overcoming hardships and advocating for social justice and equality for all”.
Decreed in the name of Queen Elizabeth II, the proclamation noted that British Columbia is “a culturally diverse province comprising many peoples and communities”.
“Indigenous people, Black people and people of colour in British Columbia continue to experience systemic racism, injustices, discrimination and hate and the government of British Columbia is committed to address all forms of racism.”
Last year, the province celebrated the 130th birth anniversary of Ambedkar on April 14 as ‘Equality Day’
The prime minister vowed to “have peoples’ backs” and said that Canadians would “be there” for one another but stopped short of announcing any concrete measures to address the situation….reports Asian Lite News
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is warning of impeding tough times, including food shortages, placing blame on the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
“We’ve seen… disruptions of supply chains around the world, which is resulting in higher prices for consumers and democracies, like ours, and resulting in significant shortages and projected shortages of food, of energy in places around the world. This is going to be a difficult time because of the war, because of the recovery from the pandemic,” Trudeau told reporters in Vancouver on Thursday.
Canada’s most populous province reports 964 new Covid-19 cases
Earlier this month, Canada’s state statistics agency announced that the country’s economy fell well short of anticipated growth rates and not enough to enough to overturn the coronavirus pandemic-induced contraction in 2020. Furthermore, the country remains gripped by an inflationary crisis, with the inflation rate rising to 5.7 percent in February, marking the highest increase since August of 1991.
The prime minister vowed to “have peoples’ backs” and said that Canadians would “be there” for one another but stopped short of announcing any concrete measures to address the situation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously dismissed similar accusations from US President Joe Biden, saying that Russia’s campaign to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine has nothing to do with rising soaring prices in the United States. (ANI/Sputnik)
