Section: National Newswatch (Canada)
Trudeau says he would tell Putin off ‘to his face’ if he becomes prime minister
TORONTO — Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau says he would tell off Russian President Vladimir Putin “directly to his face” if he becomes prime minister. Trudeau accuses Putin of “being dangerous” in eastern Europe, “irresponsible and harmful” in the Middle East and “unduly provocative” in the Arctic....
MH17 Ukraine disaster: Dutch to report on cause
The Dutch Safety Board is to publish a final report on why Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 broke up over Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 on board. Preliminary findings say it was hit by “high-energy objects from outside the aircraft”, fuelling speculation that a surface-to-air missile was responsible. The West and Ukraine say Russian-backed...
Jean Chretien says Canada should welcome ‘clear-minded’ Putin’s help in Syria
VANCOUVER – Canada should welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offers to help fight the Islamic State in Syria, says Jean Chretien.The former Liberal prime minister said Putin’s involvement in the Middle Eastern conflict may spark controversy but that the West would do well to accept the support.”If Putin wants to...
Fewer Canadian bombs dropping on Iraq, Syria since election call: statistics
OTTAWA – Fewer Canadian bombs have been falling on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant since the federal election call on Aug. 2, new National Defence statistics show.CF-18 fighters conducted 10 air raids last month and 12 in August, which is roughly half the average number of attacks carried out each month since the spring.There were...
Despite warnings post-Kenya, fears about embassy security unresolved: documents
OTTAWA – The Harper government has known for two years that security at foreign embassies and the safety of Canadian diplomats was potentially in jeopardy at more than two dozen missions abroad, a series of internal government records show.Reports by both the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service,...
Canada inches up to 13th place on global competitiveness ranking
GENEVA – Canada has moved up two notches to 13th position in the latest Global Competitiveness Report issued Wednesday by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum.The report says Canada improved its ranking mainly because of a lower budget deficit based on 2014 data and a more favourable assessment of its financial market development.It says...
Vladimir Putin gets OK from Russian lawmakers to use troops in Syria
Russian lawmakers voted unanimously Wednesday to let President Vladimir Putin send Russian troops to Syria. The Kremlin sought to play down the decision, saying it will only use its air force there, not ground troops. Putin has to request parliamentary approval for any use of Russian troops abroad, according to the constitution. The last time he...
10 Things Canada’s Human Rights Policy Should Include
Thus far, election discourse has been dominated by exchanges on the economy and related issues such as jobs, growth, taxes, and the like, and where the term “middle class” has become metaphor and message of that discourse. Accordingly, the Munk Debates on foreign policy are a welcome addition to the political discourse, particularly as foreign...
Five things to watch for in tonight’s federal leaders’ debate on foreign affairs
OTTAWA — The leaders of the three main political parties will be on the same stage tonight to debate foreign affairs. The debate lands as the conflict in Syria, the fight against the so-called Islamic State and a multinational free trade agreement have focused campaign attention on international affairs. Here are five things to watch for in...
Leadership, security key messages for Harper in foreign policy debate
TORONTO — Here’s a secret about political photo ops: when a party leader waves farewell before boarding a plane, he’s usually waving to no one but the cameras. But Monday morning, Conservative supporters lined the path to Stephen Harper’s campaign plane to wish the leader well ahead of his trip to Toronto and the Munk debate on...
