Instead of protecting democracy, Facebook passes the buck
This week’s announcements from Facebook aimed at protecting the integrity of Canadian elections miss the key issue. What’s the recipe Facebook needs to follow to take its responsibilities in a democracy more seriously? Article Continued BelowFirst, Facebook should describe the measures they plan to take to bring transparency to political ads. Second, Facebook should require that anyone wishing to place a political ad declare it – as is generally the case with political ads in print, radio or TV. Meaningful transparency in online political ads is the only way to preserve trust, and keep our democracy healthy.
Source:thestar
October 20, 2017 14:03 UTC
Rex Murphy: Liberal A Team works diligently to seem obnoxious, evasive, out of touch
Social license turns out to be one of those tag phrases the prime minister is so fond of, that he throws around as if they were magicians’ wands. Starting with a press conference in Stouffville — as all have noted, well out of the House of Commons and question period — the prime minister took the reins. Question period became a factory of non-sequiturs, illogicalities, and some of the most ham-handed, amateur-hour evasions and denials to ever disgrace the pages of Hansard. In question period, he should own an honorary spot on the opposition benches. And the prime minister as government leader is, or should be, the first guardian and watchdog over the behaviour of his ministers and members.
Source:National Post
October 20, 2017 14:03 UTC
Winter road will be carved through northern Manitoba to get supplies to Churchill
A scheme is in the works to build a temporary winter road to Churchill so food, fuel and other supplies can be delivered in the absence of train service. (Remi Foubert-Allen )Churchill-based freight company Remote Area Services and Fox Lake Cree Nation are the other two. The hope is to start preparing the makeshift ice road around Christmas and start hauling things in January. The rail line is our lifeline and I hope to see waves of smiling tourists stepping off of it for summer of 2018," he said. The contract that came with the money stated Omnitrax had to assume full responsibility for the operation, maintenance and repair of the rail line until October 2018.
Source:CBC News
October 20, 2017 13:58 UTC
Putin accuses U.S. of pressuring IOC to exclude Russia from Winter Olympics
MOSCOW—The Kremlin accused the U.S. government on Friday of pushing for Russia’s exclusion from the Olympics. Read more: With 2018 Olympics approaching, Canada calls on IOC to move quickly on Russian doping sanctionsArticle Continued BelowDoping won’t keep athletes out of Olympics, Russian IOC member says In televised comments on Thursday, Putin said the IOC depended on sponsorship income “and in turn clear signals are being given to these sponsors by certain American bodies. Russia is already under IOC investigation over allegations it operated a state-backed doping program including swapping out dirty samples at the drug-testing laboratory for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Neither Putin nor Peskov specified which specific U.S. government bodies might be involved in the alleged pressuring of the IOC. Putin’s suggestion of U.S. meddling in the Russian election comes amid investigations in the U.S. into alleged interference in last year’s presidential vote.
Source:thestar
October 20, 2017 13:52 UTC
Fish sold in Toronto-area stores recalled due to botulism risk: CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says a variety of fish products from two grocery stores in the Toronto area are being recalled due to a risk of botulism. The agency says the affected products were sold at Yummy Market stores in northern Toronto and Maple, Ont., and include the store’s brand of smoked herring, lesch, mackerel, rainbow trout, salmon and sturgeon. The CFIA says the recall was issued last week after a consumer complaint and was recently expanded after a food safety investigation. It says there have been no other illnesses reported that have been linked to the recalled fish products. The CFIA advises people to throw out the recalled products or return them to the store where they were purchased.
Source:thestar
October 20, 2017 13:52 UTC
Halifax pitches abandoned military site for Amazon campus in declassified report
HALIFAX — A declassified Halifax regional council report reveals new details of the city’s longshot bid to woo online retail giant Amazon, including offering the site of a former military community. “A successful Amazon bid would meet the objectives of any local government from an economic development perspective,” the report said. Halifax’s staff report also said a nearby industrial park, close to the airport and major highways, could service Amazon’s logistics and warehouse activities. Critics have dismissed Halifax’s bid, pointing out that the city doesn’t meet the criteria. But the Halifax staff report said preparing the bid benefited the city, regardless of where Amazon decides to build its new offices.
Source:National Post
October 20, 2017 13:49 UTC
Montreal protesters don surgical masks, scarves over new face-covering law
Protesters wearing surgical masks and scarves over their faces lined up Friday along a Montreal bus route to rally against a new law that would force anyone using public services, including Muslim women wearing a niqab or burka, to uncover their faces. It also obliges anyone seeking public services like taking public transit to have uncovered faces. The demonstration against the law was organized along the 80 bus route on Parc Avenue during morning rush hour. The protesters say the law is a political manoeuvre that marginalizes Muslim women who wear a niqab or burka. Protesters say the law marginalizes Muslim women who wear a niqab or burka.
Source:CBC News
October 20, 2017 13:41 UTC
Premier vows to address 'systemic racism' as N.S. releases report on inquiry
HALIFAX — Nova Scotia has suffered from institutional racism, Premier Stephen McNeil acknowledged Friday as the government released a report outlining its role in an inquiry into decades of abuses at a former Halifax-area orphanage. The home, which opened in 1921, was the site of alleged mistreatment and abuse from the 1940s through until the early 1980s. “Government is committed to critically examining its role in the history of the NSHCC (orphanage) as a pathway to address how the legacy of systemic and institutional racism has impacted individuals, families and communities for generations in Nova Scotia,” the report states. McNeil said the government is committed to seeing the inquiry through to the end. “Not only will it be very powerful for Nova Scotia, I think the process that we’ve landed on will be replicated beyond,” he said.
Source:National Post
October 20, 2017 13:32 UTC
'Overwhelming' demand for last Hey Rosetta! shows, more tickets on sale Oct. 27
Tickets went on sale Oct. 16 for the Dec. 21 and 22 shows at the Delta ballroom, and were sold out in minutes. Sonic Concerts announced that additional tickets for the band's shows would go on sale Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. Ticketing info and details are available at www.sonicconcerts.com. Tickets are $51 in advance and $56 the day of the shows, but the likelihood of getting tickets at the door is next to nil. The Dec. 17 show will be an all-ages show, with the Dec. 18 and 19 shows licensed and limited to 19 and up. Those tickets go on sale Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. Eastern time, with information at www.collectiveconcerts.com.
Source:CBC News
October 20, 2017 13:01 UTC
Is Marner being mis-used? Why not play Kapanen?
Why waste time teaching Mitch Marner how to play defence on the fourth line when he should be a star on the first line RIGHT NOW? QUESTION: Fans get frustrated when talent is misused --- and Mitch Marner is currently being misused, absurdly misused. Kapanen – Matthews – NylanderVan Riemsdyk – Bozak – BrownHyman – Moore – KomarovTwo lines with supreme talent, get rid of Hyman on that line and try Kapanen, Brown helps on defence with Bozak and can score, and the fourth line is a true fourth line. And I'm not sure how Marner, playing 14:58 a game -- seventh most among forwards on the team -- is being misused. For the record, since his "demotion" to the fourth line, he's played 36 fewer seconds than JVR.
Source:thestar
October 20, 2017 12:56 UTC
Power to the people: 2 Italy regions to hold autonomy votes
VERONA, Italy — It is greater autonomy —- not independence —- that two of Italy’s wealthiest regions are seeking in a pair of referendums Sunday, yet Catalonia’s secessionist ambitions in nearby Spain loom large over the debate. In contrast, the Oct. 1 Catalan independence referendum was declared illegal and vigorously opposed by the central Spanish government in Madrid. Another party, Veneto Independence, was behind a failed attempt to get constitutional court approval for a Veneto referendum on independence. And any sense that Rome is dismissing the autonomy demands could play into the hands of the independence parties. “However, if the idea of autonomy is betrayed by the central government, it will feed the push for independence.”
Source:National Post
October 20, 2017 12:52 UTC
'Go home, Spencer!' Protesters disrupt white nationalist's speech at University of Florida
Richard Spencer came to the University of Florida hoping to spread his white nationalist ideas, but his speech was instead quickly drowned out Thursday by a hailstorm of chants, shouting and mockery. He said it was “absolutely right” that the university and state expected to spend more than $600,000 on security. He said he “came to witness Spencer’s violent rhetoric and to indict the University of Florida . In a telephone interview after the speech, Spencer described the appearance as “frustrating and exhilarating at the same time.”“I’m inspired that we persevered against totally thuggish behavior,” he said. Mike Ryan Simonovich, 39, a stay-at-home father from Gainesville, was trying to find tickets to see Spencer’s speech.
Source:National Post
October 20, 2017 12:45 UTC
Conrad Black: Quebec is now the beacon of astute economic policy in this country
Quebec is outpacing Canada economically, for the first time since the piping days of Maurice Duplessis. As long as Quebec nationalism reposed in the hands of Quebec conservatives, their institutional conservatism assured that Quebec nationalism would not become too destructively adventurous. It’s become a model for fiscal prudence and economic growth (and without recourse to Duplessis’ methods of underpaying public service employees). Quebec has become the beacon for astute economic policy, while English Canada applies social democratic truismsQuebec has suddenly emerged with a $4.5 billion dollar budgetary surplus, and 2.9 per cent economic growth rate, and a leading economic performance that the country could emulate. Quebec, the former fiscally irresponsible and grumbling freeloader, has become the beacon for astute economic policy, and most of English Canada is waddling through the wet cement of applied social democratic truisms.
Source:National Post
October 20, 2017 12:41 UTC
Inflation accelerates to 1.6% in September; retail trade contracts in August
Overall, excluding gas prices, inflation was only 1.1 per cent. Retail sales volumes in August recoiled 0.7 per cent. Excluding sales at gas stations and auto dealers, the report said retail trade was down 1.3 per cent in August. The retail sales data suggests the economy is starting to show signs of slowing down, as widely expected, following its red-hot performance in the first half of the year. Jimmy Jean, senior economist for Desjardins, characterized the retail sales report as a “big disappointment.” He also doesn’t expect the bank to move the rate next week.
Source:National Post
October 20, 2017 12:36 UTC
India looking forward to visit by US secretary of state
NEW DELHI — India on Friday said it is looking forward to a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson next week to further strengthen a partnership based on a shared commitment to a rule-based international order. Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar welcomed a recent statement by Tillerson calling for an expansion of strategic ties. He said the United States and India shared goals of security, free navigation, free trade and an international rules-based order which is increasingly under strain. Both India and China have benefited from that order, but Tillerson said India had done so while respecting the rules and norms, while China had “at times” undermined them. In his Afghan strategy unveiled in August, U.S. President Donald Trump asked India to do more to help Afghanistan’s development.
Source:National Post
October 20, 2017 12:21 UTC