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India expels Canadian diplomat after Canada links Indian agents to Sikh leader death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:50 GMT

India struck back at Canada early Tuesday after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau linked agents of India’s government to the shooting death of a Sikh leader near Vancouver.A statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs says an unnamed senior Canadian diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days.Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said earlier on Monday that Canada was expelling India’s Pavan Kumar Rai, whom her department lists in its public registry as a diplomatic agent who heads up an Indian intelligence agency based in Ottawa.Trudeau told the House of Commons on Monday that there is credibility to the allegations that Indian government agents played a role in the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.“Over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen,” he said.“Any involve...

What to know about the Sikh movement at the center of the tensions between India and Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:50 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Tensions between Canada and India have reached new heights with dueling diplomatic expulsions and an allegation of Indian government involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil. The row centers around the Sikh independence, or Khalistan, movement. India has repeatedly accused Canada of supporting the movement, which is banned in India but has support among the Sikh diaspora. On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Parliament described what he called credible allegations that India was connected to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. The Indian government denied any hand in Nijjar’s killing while also saying Canada was trying to shift the focus from Khalistan activists there.Here are some details about the issue:WHAT IS THE KHALISTAN MOVEMENT?The Sikh independence movement began as an armed insurgency in the late 1980s among Sikhs demanding a separate homeland. It was centered in northern Punjab state, where Sikhs are th...

In the news today: Trudeau heading to UN as tensions with India escalate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:50 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…Trudeau heads to UN amid fresh foreign tensionPrime Minister Justin Trudeau is headed to the UN General Assembly with the planet at a climate crossroads — and Canada facing an ever more fraught relationship with the world’s fastest-growing economy. The day before departing for New York, Trudeau rocked the House of Commons with “credible allegations” linking agents of India’s government to the deadly shooting this past June of a Sikh leader in Surrey, B.C. It’s a striking contextual backdrop for the week ahead at the United Nations, a place where aspirational visions of a prosperous and peaceful future often have to do battle with stark political realities. India expels Canadian diplomat after accusations in Sikh leader deathIndia struck back at Canada early Tuesday after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau linked agents of India’s ...

Feist, Daniel Caesar among artists up for Polaris prize

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:50 GMT

TORONTO — Ten Canadian musicians and bands will compete for the Polaris Music Prize tonight.The $50,000 award for the year’s best Canadian album will be handed out during a concert event held at Toronto’s Massey Hall.Among the contenders is Calgary-raised pop singer-songwriter Leslie Feist, Toronto R&B singer Daniel Caesar and Oji-Cree alternative soul artist Aysanabee.Other nominees include Haitian-Canadian artist Gayance, Winnipeg’s Begonia and Nigerian-Canadian Debby Friday.Rounding out the list is British Columbia native Dan Mangan, Toronto rock band the Sadies, B.C. hip hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids and Prince Edward Island indie pop band Alvvays.The Polaris prize names the best Canadian album of the previous year — irrespective of genre or sales — as chosen by a group of journalists, broadcasters and music bloggers.Last year, the Polaris went to Congolese-Canadian Pierre Kwenders for his third album “Jose Louis and the Paradox Of Love.”This rep...

Long-secret Canadian intelligence sealed Avro Arrow’s cancellation, new paper says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:50 GMT

OTTAWA — The Diefenbaker government’s 1959 decision to scrap the fabled Avro Arrow was significantly influenced by Canadian intelligence that pointed to a diminishing need for the costly aircraft in the evolving Cold War, says a new research paper based on previously secret information.The intelligence highlighted the Soviet Union’s shift away from manned bombers to long-range ballistic missiles, suggesting interceptors like the Arrow would increasingly play a smaller role in the defence of North America.The paper makes the case that these strategic intelligence assessments — long the “missing dimension” in the debate over the Arrow’s demise — now allow for a fuller understanding of an important episode in Canadian history.“Arrows, Bears and Secrets: The Role of Intelligence in Decisions on the CF-105 Program,” was published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed academic journal Canadian Military History.The paper’s author, researcher Alan Barn...

Court expected to hear city’s perspective of ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers’ trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:50 GMT

OTTAWA — The criminal trial of two “Freedom Convoy” organizers is expected to hear the city’s perspective on the controversial protest as Ottawa’s emergency manager takes the stand. Kim Ayotte oversaw the city’s bylaw enforcement, fire and paramedic services during last year’s demonstration, as well as the department that oversees special events.  Tamara Lich and Chris Barber are on trial to determine whether they committed mischief or counselled others to commit mischief, intimidation and other offences over the course of the protest. Protesters blocked city streets and residential neighbourhoods around Parliament Hill in a protest against COVID-19 public-health restrictions, and refused to leave for three weeks. Ayotte provided daily situation updates to then-Ottawa mayor Jim Watson and the rest of city council during the demonstration.Ottawa declared a state of emergency after the second weekend of the protest in what the mayor at the time call...

Liberal foreign aid looks to bolster feminism, cut red tape for charities: Hussen

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:50 GMT

OTTAWA — International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen says he’s focused on speeding up aid funding while cementing the Trudeau government’s feminist approach to development abroad.In his first interview about taking on the role since he was sworn in July 26, Hussen said his mandate letter calls for a continued focus on Canada’s feminist international assistance policy, and to prioritize clearing bureaucratic hurdles that prevent that policy from fulling taking shape.“We know that when women and girls are included in society, those societies do better, that poverty comes down, gender-based violence comes down (and) economic development takes off,” he said.Hussen previously helmed the government’s housing and immigration portfolios. His new job focuses on managing a $6.5-billion budget for development aid such as building schools, as well as helping send out humanitarian funding in response to crises such as major earthquakes.The goal is to try c...

Climate, development, India top of mind as Trudeau travels to UN General Assembly

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:50 GMT

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is headed to the UN General Assembly with the planet at a climate crossroads — and Canada facing an ever more fraught relationship with the world’s fastest-growing economy. The day before departing for New York, Trudeau rocked the House of Commons with “credible allegations” linking agents of India’s government to the deadly shooting this past June of a Sikh leader in Surrey, B.C. It’s a striking contextual backdrop for the week ahead at the United Nations, a place where aspirational visions of a prosperous and peaceful future often have to do battle with stark political realities. This year’s theme for what the international diplomatic corps calls “high-level week” at the UN is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity” — two commodities that seem hard to come by these days. “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian so...

Saskatchewan judge to hear injunction application over school pronoun policy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:50 GMT

REGINA — A Saskatchewan judge is to hear an injunction application that seeks to halt the province’s policy affecting children who use different pronouns at school. Lawyers for UR Pride, an organization representing LGBTQ people in Regina, are to argue in favour of the injunction.The lawyers from Egale Canada and McCarthy Tétrault LLP say the policy violates two sections of the Charter, including equality rights and the right to security of the person.The policy requires children under 16 to receive parental consent if they want to go by a different name or pronoun at school.Premier Scott Moe has said his government remains committed to the policy, saying the province will do everything in its power to protect parental rights. Moe says to keep the policy in place, he would consider using the notwithstanding clause, a provision that allows governments to override certain Charter rights for up to five years.Lawyers for UR Pride have said the injunction application is meant to st...

Statistics Canada to release inflation figures for August this morning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:50 GMT

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada will release its latest reading on inflation this morning.The agency will publish its consumer price index for August. Economists are forecasting inflation reaccelerated to around four per cent last month, reversing previous progress made as gasoline prices push inflation higher.Canada’s annual inflation rate fell to 2.8 per cent on an annualized basis in June, entering the Bank of Canada’s target range of one to three per cent for the first time since March 2021. However, the pace picked up in July to 3.3 per cent.The Bank of Canada kept its key interest target on hold at five per cent earlier this month, but noted it was ready to raise rates if needed.Bank of Canada deputy governor Sharon Kozicki is expected to deliver a speech at the University of Regina this afternoon. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2023.The Canadian Press