Canada
Ottawa tables bill to counter foreign interference
Following the conclusions reached at the foreign interference inquiry, the federal government has introduced legislation aimed at curbing the problem. It includes a foreign agent registry and changes to legislation around Canada’s spy agency. David Akin breaks down the bill, why it will be difficult to make all the proposed changes in time for the next federal election, and the measure MPs want immediately.
Canada’s Foreign Influence Transparency Registry
Here is the backgrounder provided by the government which provides more details on this new registry. Timeline here: Registry becomes active -- and registrations required -- one year after the bill comes into force. So that's spring of 2025 at the earliest. Possibly not before the scheduled 2025 fall election.
Singh tells Conservatives to back off as House prepares for first pharmacare vote
The Liberals and the New Democrats full-throatedly pledged to stop the Conservatives from blocking their pharmacare legislation in the House of Commons on Monday — even though the two parties have more than enough votes to bypass the Opposition.
Press release: Conservative Party of Canada announces Billy Morin as their candidate for Edmonton Northwest
He is a proud Albertan and Cree First Nations leader and former Chief of Enoch Cree Nation. Billy has been fighting for his people and working to build Indigenous and non-Indigenous alliances to unleash economic development and opportunities for Canadians. Edmonton Northwest is a new-for-2025 riding. Had it existed in 2021, the Conservatives would have won here, taking 43% of the vote with Liberals and New Democrats each taking about 27%. Were in election to be held this month, the Conservatives would likely extend that 2021 16-point margin to 24-points.
CPC picks Oakville East candidate
While the CPC issued a press released to announce their candidate in Edmonton Northwest, we've only learned about their candidate in the new-for-2025 riding of Oakville East via their candidate's Twitter. Ron Chhinzer, a police officer, ran unsuccessfully in the by-election in Mississauga Lakeshore that Liberal Charles Sousa won. One assumes the Liberal candidate in Oakville East will be cabinet minister Anita Anand but that's not yet confirmed. In any event, after redistributing the 2021 results to the new boundaries, Oakville East was a six-point win for the Liberals but the current model has that swinging to the Conservatives by 12 points if an election were held this month.
Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2023
Reported cases rose by 109.1 per cent from 2022 to 2023. This figure – documenting a total of 5,791 incidents – surpasses even 2021’s jarring statistics, previously the highest on record. At that time, B’nai Brith recorded 2,799 incidents, although that total slightly decreased to 2,769 in 2022.
The Provinces
Higher subsidies for political parties among changes in Manitoba omnibus bill
The bill would boost rebates so that parties and candidates would get 50 per cent of their election spending reimbursed, up from the current 25 per cent.
Scott Moe says potential SMR will 'quite likely' be located in Estevan
Both Estevan and Elbow had previously been named as potential sites for the location of Saskatchewan’s first SMR. Moe’s keynote speech focused on the province’s resource sector, agriculture and, of course, butting heads with the feds.
Canada Post closes loophole for Nunavummiut to access free Amazon shipping
Nunavummiut from several communities say they're reeling from suddenly losing access to free Amazon shipping after Canada Post put an end to a loophole customers utilized to access the service.
Deux nouvelles démissions chez Québec solidaire
Elles surviennent quelques jours après le départ de la co-porte-parole féminine du parti, Émilise Lessard-Therrien.
Elsewhere
Israeli forces take control of Gaza side of Rafah border as cease-fire hangs in balance
The move comes after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war, with the militant group saying it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari mediated cease-fire proposal. Israel insisted the deal did not meet its core demands.
Could Marwan Barghouti bring peace to Middle East?
There's a lot of uncertainty around the post-conflict political future of the Middle East. Many people believe only Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti is capable of unifying Palestinian factions. Daniele Hamamdjian explains on Global National who Barghouti is, how he's been locked in an Israeli prison for years, and why he could be the key player for peace.
India's Hindu nationalists are petitioning courts to tear down mosques and replace them with temples
Gvanvapi mosque in the holy city of Varanasi is one of hundreds of mosques and other Muslim sites being targeted by Hindu nationalist groups in India. The petitioners say they want to restore previously destroyed Hindu holy sites, but some historians accuse the groups of aggressively attempting to rewrite history.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russian state media say Moscow has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, citing the interior ministry's database.
Media
Plan de transformation de CBC/Radio-Canada | L’approche du Bloc ressemble à celle des conservateurs, selon Pascale St-Onge
En suggérant de scinder CBC/Radio-Canada en deux sociétés d’État distinctes plutôt que de les rapprocher comme l’envisage la haute direction, le Bloc québécois prend le chemin des conservateurs de Pierre Poilievre qui, eux, promettent de mettre la clé dans la porte des services anglais de l’organisation, a affirmé lundi la ministre du Patrimoine canadien, Pascale St-Onge.
Israel bans Al Jazeera: What does it mean and what happens next?
Al Jazeera said it will pursue available legal channels to protect its journalists from Israel’s ‘slanderous’ shutdown.
Italian public broadcaster Rai's journalists strike over censorship row
Previously, Rai journalists' union USIGRai accused Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her coalition partners of trying to turn the public broadcaster into a ''mouthpiece of the government''.
Embattled ABC News President Kim Godwin steps down after tumultuous run
Morale at ABC News has suffered significantly since Godwin took the helm in 2021, with employees frustrated with her leadership, more than two dozen staffers and others close to the network told CNN this week.
Science and tech
Best iPad Drawing Apps to Try in 2024
Find your inner digital artist with a Procreate blank canvas, creative coloring books and everything in between.
How to Block a Number on Your Smartphone
Regardless of whether you have an iPhone or an Android, blocking annoying calls and texts only requires a few simple adjustments in your settings.
The Calendar
- 0700 ET: Ottawa - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh meets with Germany Housing Minister Klara Geywitz.
- 0730 ET: Ottawa - PM Trudeau and other Parliamentarians attend the National Prayer Breakfast.
- 1000 ET: West Block - PM Trudeau meets with his cabinet.
- 1030 ET: National Press Theatre - Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge speaks about his annual report.
- 1030 ET: 135B West Block - NDP MP Leah Gazan speaks about a private member's bill.
- 1100 ET: 025-B West Block - Finance (FINA) | Meeting 142 - Bill C-69
- 1100 ET: 125-B West Block - Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) | Meeting 114 - Election of Chair
- 1100 ET: 410 Wellington - Science and Research (SRSR) | Meeting 85 - Election of Chair / Drafting Report.
- 1100 ET: 225-A West Block - Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN) | Meeting 113 - State of Airline Competition in Canada
- 1100 ET: 425 Wellington - the Status of Women (FEWO) | Meeting 107 - Coercive Behaviour
- 1100 ET: 415 Wellington - Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) | Meeting 116 - Impact of Disinformation and of Misinformation on the Work of Parliamentarians
- 1100 ET: 330 Wellington - Agriculture and Agri-Food (AGRI) | Meeting 103 - Issues Relating to the Horticultural Sector
- 1300 ET: National Press Theatre - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland , Emergency Preparedness Min Harjit Sajjan, Natural Resources Min Jonathan Wilkinson, and Environment Min Steven Guilbeault speak to reporters.
- 1400 ET: HoC Foyer - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to reporters.
- 1530 ET: 330 Wellington - International Trade (CIIT) | Meeting 104 - Canadian Businesses in Supply Chains and Global Markets
- 1530 ET: 025-B West Block - Public Accounts (PACP) | Meeting 119 - Public Accounts of Canada 2023
- 1530 ET: 410 Wellington - Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO) | Meeting 109 - Drafting Report
- 1530 ET: 425 Wellington - Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Foreign Affairs and International Development (SDIR) | Meeting 50 - Georgia's Draft Law on Foreign Agents
- 1600 ET: 315 Wellington - Canadian Heritage (CHPC) | Meeting 118 - Job Cuts Announced at CBC/Radio-Canada
Issued this day ...
… in 1971: Scott # 540. Samuel Hearne. Design: Laurent Marquart.
The 1971 Canada Post press release at the time of issue reads: “In July, 1771, two hundred years ago, Samuel Hearne became the first European to reach the Coppermine River and Canada's Arctic coast overland. His carefully written record of his five thousand mile trek, through one of the most forbidding territories in the world, was a great contribution to early knowledge of the northern Indians, Arctic wildlife and geography. Born in London, England, in 1745, Hearne went to sea while still a child. In the service of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Prince of Wales, he was commissioned to search for a north-west passage and to locate a copper mine, the existence of which was claimed in the earlier reports from Indian leaders. Two abortive attempts to reach his goal, one covering a span of nine months, failed to discourage Hearne. The third venture was inspired by a chance meeting with Matanobbee enabled Hearne to reach his destination but his expectations of finding a north-west passage or a mine rich in copper were not fulfilled. In 1774 Hearne founded the Company'first inland post, Cumberland House, in what is now east-central Saskatchewan. He retired in 1787, living in London until 1792 when he died at the age of 47. His journal, published three years after his death, remains a classic in the annals of Canadian exploration.”