- NewsCBC
As tensions rise in the Asia-Pacific, Japan's PM is calling on Canada for help
In the military, they call it "painting a target." And it apparently came as a shock to the crew of a lumbering Japanese patrol plane last December when a South Korean warship locked onto them with its fire control radar.The incident, which took place over an empty stretch of ocean southwest of the Korean Peninsula, sparked a diplomatic furor between Tokyo and Seoul.The South Korean military accused the Japanese of swooping low over their destroyer as it was in the process of aiding a disabled North Korean fishing boat — an allegation Japan's defence minister denied.The incident was a riveting demonstration of how tempestuous relations can be in the region, even between supposed U.S. allies.Such disputes — including the more high-profile standoff with Beijing over the construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea — have seemed remote and indecipherable to many Canadians, including government decision-makers.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to pitch closer defence cooperation with Canada, among other things, when he visits Ottawa this weekend.One defence expert said Abe's visit is an attempt to gauge how serious the Trudeau government is about becoming more engaged in the Asia-Pacific region.Ottawa will be the Japanese prime minister's last stop on a world-wide tour that's taking him to France, Italy, Slovakia, Brussels and the United States.One of the topics Abe is expected to discuss with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is how the two countries can solidify Canada's regular participation in military exercises in the region.Japan's ambassador to Canada, Kimihiro Ishikane, told CBC News in an interview Wednesday that there has been limited military cooperation between Canada and Japan already, "but there's a lot to be done."Japan would like to see more exchanges of information and personnel between the two militaries. Canada's experience in international peacekeeping operations and capacity-building in the world's trouble spots is another major area where the two nations can work together, Ishikane said."Maybe we can cooperate in that field," he said. "Maybe we can also cooperate in the field of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief ... Maybe we can do all those kind of things step by step."Abe also is expected to compare notes with Trudeau on the pressure-cooker exercise of dealing with the Trump administration during trade talks. Japan and the U.S. plan to open negotiations for their own deal after Washington pulled out of the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2017.Looking for friends in a dangerous neighbourhoodIt's in the realm of defence, however, that the Japanese have begun to express a desire for a more formalized partnership.Dave Perry, a defence expert at the Canadian Institute of Global Affairs, said the Abe government is motivated by both the unpredictable direction of Kim Jong Un's regime in North Korea and the growing willingness of China to test the boundaries of international law and diplomacy."We share a lot of common value systems ... in terms of human rights, support for democracy, good economic linkages," he said. "But I think we're also on the same side of some of the strategic issues in the region, where we want to promote open access, free trade and freedom of movement ... something that has been in place for the last several decades enforced by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific, which has benefited both of our countries."The Canadian frigate HMCS Calgary and the navy's leased supply ship, MV Asterix, took part in Exercise Keen Sword last fall alongside dozens of U.S. and Japanese Defence Forces warships in the waters near Japan.It was the first time that Canada had sent a combat ship to the biennial drill, which has evolved into a show of solidarity in the face of rising Chinese ambitions.Perry said Japan's outreach to Canada isn't motivated exclusively by events in the South China Sea, but rather by a wider concern about Beijing's military modernization and how it has the potential to reduce freedom of navigation."The U.S. Navy has been really underpinned the freedom of movement for commerce in that region since the Second World War," said Perry."The fact that the U.S. seems to be withdrawing from the rest of the world and that we may not necessarily ... be able to rely upon the United States to guarantee freedom of movement in those areas is a concern."Ishikane said keeping trade routes open is important to every country in the region."At this very moment, freedom of navigation is not very impaired," said Ishikane, who noted that piracy remains an important issue for governments in the region."But there are some concerns, I have to say, in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. So we need to be prepared and we need to share the idea that freedom of navigation, based upon established international law, rules and norms, is extremely important for the peace and prosperity of the region."North Korea also remains a major source of worry, despite assurances from U.S. President Donald Trump that he is on track to reach an understanding with Pyongyang, said Perry."The last couple of years, I don't think, has done much to put to rest any of the concerns about North Korean involvement with missile technology and nuclear weapons," he said.
- NewsCBC
'Passengers are afraid of this airplane': How Boeing is handling its 737 Max problem
Boeing has made changes to its 737 Max airliner and conducted more than 130 test flights to show that apparent problems have been fixed in the wake of two deadly crashes. Convincing passengers will be much harder. "Passengers are afraid of this airplane," aviation industry analyst Henry Harteveldt says.
- NewsCBC
Ottawa has fallen back to 'managing the problem' with Indigenous Peoples, says Jody Wilson-Raybould
Former Liberal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould told a First Nations justice conference Wednesday she is concerned the federal government is falling back into old patterns in its dealings with Indigenous Peoples. Wilson-Raybould and former Indigenous services minister Jane Philpott were invited to speak by the First Nations Justice Council, a B.C. group working with the province to develop a First Nations justice strategy. "Today and every day I do remain optimistic and hopeful," Wilson-Raybould told a room of more than 100 First Nations leaders and provincial officials gathered in Richmond for the two-day forum.
- NewsCBC
New York City wants more of Quebec's clean energy, but how green does that make Legault?
In recent months, he's hawked the province's hydroelectricity at a first ministers meeting in Montreal, while visiting Premier Doug Ford in Toronto, and in Boston, at a one-on-one meeting with Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. The response has been tepid on the Canadian side.
- NewsCBC
The federal budget bill can't actually 'free the beer'
For the federal Liberals, lifting the remaining federal restrictions on the interprovincial liquor trade is "low-hanging fruit," said Dan Paszkowski, CEO of the Canadian Vintners Association (CVA). The CVA cites polls that suggest up to 90 per cent of Canadians want to see interprovincial trade in alcohol freed up.
- NewsCBC
Rookies excited for start of MLA orientation at Alberta legislature
"I'm a little bit nervous but I'm also incredibly excited to be here and to get started right away this week," Rebecca Schulz, UCP MLA-elect for Calgary Shaw, said shortly after she arrived in Edmonton on Tuesday. Of the 63 United Conservative Party candidates elected last week, 41 are new to the legislature. The NDP will make up the balance of the 87 seats.
- NewsCBC
New high-altitude rescue helicopter ready to save lives in Yukon
Horizon Helicopters' new Airbus AS350-B3e is based at its Whitehorse hangar. It's there to assist in mountain rescues in Kluane National Park. "This is just going to give us as the pilots, and the parks people, and the people who are rescued ... more power at those altitudes, which can make it safer for everybody," said Cole Hodinski, operations manager and chief pilot for Horizon Helicopters.
- CBC
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh claims he was sexually abused as a child
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has claimed in a new memoir that he was sexually abused by his taekwondo coach when he was 10.
- NewsCBC
Stricter infill rules coming to Edmonton, councillors say
New infill projects in Edmonton may be subject to stricter rules in the coming years after councillors reviewed a recent report showing complaints jumped in 2018 from the previous year. The report in front of urban planning committee Tuesday shows citizen complaints about infill went up 51 per cent, from 820 cases to 1,240. Councillors are frustrated that the complaints continue and the infill process doesn't seem to improve for residents.
NewsReutersJennifer Garner leads People magazine's beautiful list
Actress, businesswoman and children's advocate Jennifer Garner is featured on the cover of People magazine's annual beautiful issue, the magazine said on Tuesday. People said it chose the 47-year-old "Alias" actress for balancing her career and charitable work with the raising of her three children with ex-husband Ben Affleck. In addition to film and TV roles, Garner co-founded organic baby food company Once Upon a Farm and works as an ambassador for advocacy group Save the Children.
NewsReutersSoftBank Group looks to buy 5 pct of payment firm Wirecard: Bloomberg
Japan's SoftBank Group Corp is looking to acquire a 5 percent stake in German payments company Wirecard AG, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. SoftBank has engaged financial advisers and is working on a deal to acquire bonds that can be converted into Wirecard shares, Bloomberg reported, citing sources. SoftBank declined comment on the matter when contacted by Reuters while Wirecard was not immediately available for comment.
- NewsCBC
Ottawa announces $1.2M for northern Sask. communities to address youth crime
The federal government has announced $1.2 million to help three communities in northern Saskatchewan address youth crime. Ile-à-la Crosse, Pelican Lake First Nation and Witchekan Lake First Nation will each have access to $400,000 over two years through Ottawa's national crime prevention strategy. The money will help each community assess its vulnerability to youth gangs and violence, sex crimes, addictions, mental health issues, bullying and cyber-bullying, according to a news release from the federal government.
NewsReutersU.S. congressional leaders query Google on tracking database
Top U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday wrote to Google's chief executive raising concerns about reports of a massive database known as Sensorvault that allegedly contains precise consumer location information from hundreds of millions of devices. The letter from Democrats and Republicans on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee to CEO Sundar Pichai seeks a briefing and answers on how this information is used and shared, citing a New York Times report that the database includes nearly every consumer with an Android mobile device, in some cases storing information dating back to 2009. A representative for Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc, said in a statement: "The data in question is used for Location History, which is off by default.
- NewsCBC
Leafs face another long summer of second-guessing after devastating Game 7 loss
Another Toronto Maple Leafs season died in Boston and another long summer of second-guessing began on Tuesday evening. The Boston Bruins were the victors in a critical Game 7 for the third time at TD Garden since 2013. Rookie general manager Kyle Dubas added a talented free agent in 47-goal scorer John Tavares and a Stanley Cup-winner before the trade deadline in defenceman Jake Muzzin.
- NewsCBC
Tumbler Ridge woman wins $10M Lotto 6/49 Jackpot
The longtime Tumbler Ridge resident initially thought the email said that she had won 10 cents, but as her eyes scanned to the left and started to see all of the zeros, she realized it was actually $10 million. Mills has lived in Tumbler Ridge for 35 years. Her husband was a driller in the mine, and she worked 14 years in accounting and reception.
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Bill Cosby fighting $1M a month legal bill in arbitration
A fee dispute between actor Bill Cosby and one of the many law firms hired to address his legal problems shows the Los Angeles firm alone was billing Cosby $1 million a month in the run-up to his first sex assault trial. The imprisoned Cosby is challenging a California arbitration award that upholds nearly $7 million of the $9.2 million billed by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan for nine months work. The Quinn Emanuel team was led by partner Christopher Tayback, the son of the late actor Vic Tayback.
- NewsCBC
Sexual assault disclosures rising at University of Windsor
The number of people coming forward to report a sexual assault at the University of Windsor continues to rise, up more than 300 per cent in the 2018-19 school year compared to 2016-17.The startling increases don't necessarily mean that more sexual assaults — from unwanted touching to rape — are happening. The school's Sexual Misconduct Response and Prevention Office interprets the jump as "a positive thing.""What I think this reflects is our community is becoming aware of the resources that are available to them," said coordinator Dusty Johnstone."I certainly don't think that we should misinterpret this that there is more violence happening in our community."Between May 2018 and April, 70 sexual assault cases were opened at the University of Windsor, the board of governors heard Tuesday. Most of those reports resulted in disclosure so people could access resources and emotional support.Formal complaints were filed in 11 of those cases, which resulted in individual investigations.Comparing those numbers in 2018-19 to the first year of the university's Sexual Misconduct Policy in 2016-17, which handled 17 sexual assault cases, there is a difference of 311 per cent."I think that we see this as an issue we need to continue to invest in," said Johnstone. "I think one great thing about the University of Windsor is that it's very responsive to the fact that this is a social problem ... and I don't really see that tapering off."Here are some more statistics based on the 70 most recent sexual assault cases reported at the University of Windsor: * 27 involved incidents of sexual assault or rape. * Six incidents of childhood violence. * Perpetrator was faculty or staff in five disclosed cases. * Six incidents reported to Windsor police.Shifting resourcesTo help with this increase reported sexual assaults, the university hired someone to oversee public education on campus for 10 hours a week last fall.Next month, that job will become a permanent position at 24 hours per week.Up until now, interim president Douglas Kneale said the university has been putting resources into the back end when it comes to sexual assault resources.Now, things are changing."What we're doing is shifting our resources to the front end to educate, to make people aware, to de-stigmatize, to allow people to feel comfortable in coming forward to talk about these issues," said Kneale.
- NewsCBC
What could be 'leftover debris' from Detroit-Windsor Tunnel work falls onto car
The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel may have reopened after its ceiling renovation that went on for more than a year, but work is still ongoing.Contractors working Monday to Friday in portions of the ceiling may have been the reason behind a piece of concrete falling, hitting a passenger vehicle a couple of Saturdays ago.CBC News reporter/editor Jonathan Pinto said he heard a noise on the roof of his car while waiting inside the tunnel, in the portion with the new ceiling. That was on April 13, 2019 in the afternoon.He's heard water drip from the ceiling before, but he said "this was a bit louder than that.""It wasn't crazy loud, but it was definitely noticeable," said Pinto.When he made it to the U.S., he heard a rattling noise from the back.It turned out it was a piece of concrete, just a bit larger than a dime, that had been wedged between the trunk hood and rear glass of his car."Isn't this ceiling brand new? That's kind of strange," he recalled thinking when he realized what that noise had been.Pinto's vehicle was not damaged in any way by the fallen concrete. He will not be filing a complaint or an insurance claim. Pinto was travelling to the U.S. for leisure.Ongoing constructionAccording to Robert Howell, director of operations for the tunnel, his best guess is "leftover debris" from ongoing work above the ceiling area during weekdays.There are parts of the tunnel ceiling that are open, he said.While some people had filed complaints during the year contractors were working on the ceiling, none of them had to do with "concrete-type debris," said Howell.However, he reassured the tunnel will speak with construction workers about the issue Pinto raised.If people experience issues in the tunnel like falling debris, Howell said once they exit the tunnel, they should alert officials.They can do so by speaking with the custom officer, who will be able to help them get a hold of the supervisor.Moving forward, there will be additional construction work taking place within the next month or two, Howell said. People can expect periodic closures with the tunnel.If you've had a similar experience as Pinto, let us know by sending an email to windsor@cbc.ca.
NewsReutersSamsung plans $116 billion investment in non-memory chips to challenge TSMC, Qualcomm
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd plans to invest $116 billion in non-memory chips through 2030, to cut its reliance on the volatile memory chip market and develop chips to power self-driving cars and AI-enabled devices. The plan underscores the South Korean firm's ambition to challenge bigger rivals - Taiwan's TSMC in contract chip manufacturing and San Diego-based Qualcomm Inc in mobile processing chips - as the memory chip market contracts sharply after years of an unprecedented boom. In March, U.S. chip supplier Nvidia Corp agreed to buy Israeli chip designer Mellanox Technologies Ltd for $6.8 billion, beating rival Intel Corp in a deal that would help Nvidia boost its data center and AI businesses.
- NewsCBC
Bias at the border? CBSA study finds travellers from some countries face more delays
The Canada Border Services Agency is conducting a series of tests to learn if its human agents, and its passport-reading machines, are prone to discriminating against certain kinds of travellers.The CBSA's research to date, obtained by CBC News through Access to Information requests, suggests that most of the discrepancies in the treatment of different nationalities and ethnicities at Canada's international airports are driven by procedures, rather than prejudice.But border service officers did use their discretion to order secondary inspections for travellers from the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean at far higher rates than for travellers from the U.S. or Western Europe.The surveys also confirmed that border officers are more likely to look twice at the customs declaration of a returning Canadian traveller than that of a U.S. visitor.And internal CBSA communications suggest that the new Primary Inspection Kiosks (PIK) that read passports at some Canadian airports may have higher error rates when processing people with certain ethnic backgrounds.One analysis obtained by CBC News was undertaken by the border agency in response to a CTV News report in May 2018."The news report implied that referrals for secondary inspection were biased with respect to travelers from certain countries and regions," says the analysis report. "As a result of the news report, the CBSA formed a task force to analyze the accuracy of these findings."The Air Traveler Referral Analysis was delivered to Citizenship and Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen in July of last year.The results seemed to bear out the news report, says the document: "The CBSA determined that the conclusions drawn by the media could be inferred from the assessment of the information provided through the ATIP (access to information) request."In 2017, about 3,500,000 travellers arriving at Canadian airports were flagged for secondary inspections — for immigration purposes, for customs, to pay taxes and fees or to meet other requirements regarding health or imports.The analysis report reveals that very few travellers are selected randomly for secondary inspection — just 70,000 out of 4.2 million in 2017, less than 2 per cent of the total.Iranians v. IcelandersThe CBSA analysis found that the rates at which travellers were referred to secondary inspection differed wildly depending on their countries of origin.For example, Iranian travellers arriving in Canada in 2017 were on average about twenty times as likely to be referred to secondary inspections for Customs purposes — and about six times as likely to be referred for immigration purposes — as were visiting Icelanders.A Jamaican visitor was about ten times as likely as a Dane to face a secondary inspection for Customs purposes, and almost ten times as likely to be followed up for immigration purposes.Canada openly treats travellers differently depending on their passports, of course. Iranians and Jamaicans require a visa to visit Canada as tourists. Icelanders and Danes do not.But CBSA's analysis suggests that the discrepancies in the rates of secondary inspections are not a matter of policy."While Jamaican and Iranian nationals were referred more often for inspection than some other foreign nationals, looking at a macro level analysis, this report found no systematic evidence of bias," says the CBSA analysis.It notes that about 10 per cent of all travellers are referred and, of the 4.2 million referrals it examined, "the vast majority of referrals were for mandatory reasons, with the largest proportion having been referred by a kiosk."The percentage of individuals referred as a result of an 'on the spot' exercise of judgement by a border services officer was low in comparison."Many of the referrals were triggered automatically because of something in the traveller's documents, declarations or immigration status.For example, a permanent resident arriving in his or her new country of residence for the first time is automatically referred to a secondary immigration inspection in order to confirm residency, and is also subject to a customs referral to document the personal effects they are bringing to Canada. A tourist or business traveller is not subject to either of those requirements.Iranians travelling to Canada are more likely than Icelanders to be coming here to settle. Icelanders also are more likely to be tourists on short-term visits.Booths flagging more peopleOnly about 140,000 out of two million secondary customs inspections were actually ordered by human agents acting on their own discretion. The rest were automatic, mostly ordered by machines.The primary inspection booths flag any traveller who presents a customs declaration with irregularities — such as a person who checks the box saying they are bringing in food.Because CBSA is aware of the tendency of kiosks to refer people to secondary inspection unnecessarily, a human officer is given the task of "referrals management". For example, the referrals management officer might let through the passenger who checks the food box because of a candy bar, while ensuring someone bringing in raw meat is inspected.The analysis found that those human officers overrule six out of every ten machine referrals for customs purposes.Last spring, CBSA began adding more questions about food and plants at the automated booths — a step that the report credits with reducing by half the number of passengers being sent to secondary inspections for those reasons.Immigration stops more 'selective'The 2.2 million immigration-related secondary inspections were far more likely to be ordered on a "selective" basis than customs-related cases, which were mostly "mandatory" orders for things like food inspections or payment of duties.But even the "selective" immigration inspections were more likely to be ordered by machines (88 per cent) than by human agents (12 per cent). The main reasons booths order inspections are problems like incomplete information, stays of more than six months' duration, or permanent resident cards close to their expiry dates.CBSA found that an Iranian or Jamaican flagged for secondary inspection was no more likely to have been selected for a secondary inspection by a human officer exercising discretion than a French or South Korean passenger (in fact, they were more likely to have been picked by a machine).But when looking at the total number of people arriving from each of those countries, the French and Korean travellers were much more likely to sail through the airport without being flagged — by either an automated kiosk or a CBSA officer — than their Iranian or Jamaican counterparts.Machines bias-free?"Officer selective referral is the only type of referral that requires 'on the spot' officer discretion or judgement which could potentially involve personal bias," says the CBSA analysis.But internal CBSA communications hint at problems that may affect kiosk machines' even-handedness in dealing with different ethnicities.Emails obtained by CBC News through Access to Information discuss the roll-out of electronic inspection booths at Canadian airports and early efforts to measure their accuracy.CBC News also obtained a report entitled "Facial Matching at Primary Inspection Kiosks" that discusses 'false match' rates. False matches include 'false positives' — innocent travellers incorrectly flagged as posing problems — and 'false negatives' — a failure by the machine to detect such problems as fake documents or passport photos that don't match the individual.The documents released were heavily redacted, with entire pages blanked out. "The CBSA will not speak to details of this report out of interests of national security and integrity of the border process," the agency's Nicholas Dorion said.'I thought maybe it was just the press'While all discussion of Canadian findings was redacted from the documents CBSA released, the documents do include some revealing emails in which the evaluation team discusses U.S. findings.Referring to articles that suggested facial recognition technology had serious problems reading darker-skinned faces, one of the evaluation team wrote:"I thought maybe it was just the press making a fuss and actually it's not an issue. However … you do see that (U.S. agency) NIST has found a similar bias."The false match rate shows a massive increase for visa images when the imposter is from South Asia region, etc.""I never thought it was just press," responds a colleague, sharing a link with another U.S. study that shows that facial recognition algorithms are wildly more inaccurate when dealing with dark-skinned travellers than with light-skinned travellers, and are also worse at assessing women.That study found that two of the main facial recognition technologies available — from Microsoft and IBM — misidentify gender in dark-skinned individuals at 18 and seven times the error rate the two technologies experience, respectively, when assessing light-skinned individuals.The MIT study evaluated three commercial face-scanning systems and found that while the maximum error rate for classifying the gender of light-skinned men was 0.8 per cent, the same systems produced error rates of up to 34 per cent for dark-skinned females.
- NewsCBC
2 N.S. lobster fishermen take licence fights with DFO to court
A second Nova Scotia fisherman with health issues is joining a legal fight to challenge federal fisheries rules that cap the number of years they can hire a replacement to catch lobster under their licences. Lawyer Richard Norman filed in Federal Court separate requests for judicial reviews on behalf of Dana Robinson of Parkers Cove, N.S., and Lester Martell of L'Ardoise, N.S., earlier this month. The decisions Martell and Robinson received said their concerns about financial hardship and a succession plan weren't enough to warrant making an exception to the five-year rule.
- NewsCBC
City's parking revenue up despite lost spots
Revenue from the City of Ottawa's parking operations held steady last year despite losing nearly 200 metered spots. Ottawa's 6,631 metered parking spots, both curbside and in city-owned lots, generated $17.6 million in 2018, up slightly from $17.4 million the year before.
- NewsCBC
Landlords should keep better tabs on electrical systems, St. James Town report says
A new report suggests high-rise owners need to do more to ensure their electrical systems are properly maintained and their most vulnerable residents kept informed during emergencies. The report comes just a few months after a flood in a basement electrical room left about 1,000 tenants at 260 Wellesley St. E. without power and heat for more than three days. The previous August, 1,500 people were displaced by a fire in an electrical room at nearby 650 Parliament St.
- NewsCBC
Kejimkujik to be first Parks Canada campground with gender-neutral washrooms
A popular summer destination in southwest Nova Scotia is set to become the first Parks Canada campground with gender-neutral washrooms, part of the federal agency's $3-billion plan to upgrade outdated facilities at national parks and other sites across the country. Renovations planned for Kejimkujik National Park include building a new water-treatment plant, refitting waste-water facilities, and installing more universal facilities to replace 10 old washroom buildings and an old shower building that were installed back in the 1960s. The work means the park's front-country campground, which has several hundred campsites, will be closed for the 2020 camping season. Construction will begin this fall, after Kejimkujik wraps up its 50th anniversary camping season, and continue until spring 2021.
- NewsCBC
Massage therapist accused of sex assault was allowed to keep practising for months
A woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by her massage therapist is questioning why he was allowed to keep practising while under investigation by the College of Massage Therapists of New Brunswick. The college revoked Matthew L. McKay's licence to practise massage therapy after he pleaded guilty to committing the college offense of sexual abuse by having sex with his patient. McKay did not respond to calls or emails from CBC News.
