Canada is broadening a probe of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and freezing its participation in the multilateral organization indefinitely, the government said Friday.
Ottawa had temporarily suspended its involvement in the AIIB in June after a whistleblower asserted that China's ruling party pulls the strings at the bank. The AIIB, a project pushed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, was launched in 2016 to counter Western dominance of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It has 106 global members, including Australia, Canada, France and Germany. "In consultation with some of our closest international partners, Canada is expanding its review of the AIIB," Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement, adding that its participation in the bank would remain indefinitely suspended. The probe will include an analysis of AIIB investments, as well as its governance and management frameworks, and an assessment of management's response to concerns raised by a former executive. Bob Pickard, a Canadian who was the bank's communications chief, resigned in June and alleged that the organization is dominated by members of the Chinese Communist Party and primarily funds projects of interest to Beijing. Ottawa said it has raised those concerns with Australia, Britain, Germany and Sweden on the sidelines of a recent IMF meeting. The AIIB and China's foreign ministry have rejected Pickard's explosive claims, saying the bank operates with "openness, meritocracy and transparency."
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House Speaker Anthony Rota praised Yaroslav Hunka, 98, as a ‘Ukrainian hero’ at Canada’s Parliament, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Justin Trudeau attending and applauding.
The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons has apologised for praising an individual who served in a Nazi unit during World War II in a session attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaker Anthony Rota recognised Yaroslav Hunka, 98, as a “Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero”, saying “we thank him for all his service” before the Canadian Parliament on Friday. Hunka served in World War II as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group, that demanded an apology. The centre said Hunka’s ties to the Nazi war machine “are well-documented”. Both Zelenskyy and Trudeau joined in acknowledging Hunka during the parliament session with applause. Rota took responsibility for what he characterised as an oversight, calling the initiative “entirely my own”. “I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision,” he said in a statement issued on Sunday, offering his “deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world”. The recognition came following the visit to parliament by Zelenskyy, who thanked Canada for its assistance in Ukraine’s war against Russia. Rota said no one, including fellow parliamentarians or the Ukrainian delegation, was aware of his plans or remarks beforehand. Once upon a time, in the vast expanse of the ocean, a remarkable vessel called the Titan Submarine was about to embark on a historic journey. Its mission was to dive deep into the frigid waters of the North Atlantic and visit a legendary relic of the past—the RMS Titanic.
The Titanic, an iconic ocean liner that tragically sank over a century ago, captured the imagination of people around the world. Countless stories and myths surrounded the ill-fated vessel, making it a symbol of both human ambition and the power of the sea. Led by Captain William Reynolds, a seasoned and adventurous explorer, the team aboard the Titan Submarine prepared for the expedition. The vessel had been specially modified for this unique mission, equipped with state-of-the-art technology to navigate the treacherous depths and capture the wonders hidden within the wreckage. As the Titan Submarine descended into the darkness, anticipation filled the hearts of the crew. The submarine's powerful lights pierced through the gloom, revealing the haunting silhouette of the sunken Titanic. The vessel lay silently on the ocean floor, a poignant reminder of the tragedy that unfolded so many years ago. Carefully maneuvering through the debris, the crew marveled at the sight before them. They used remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) equipped with cameras and robotic arms to explore the Titanic's remains. Every inch of the ship was meticulously documented, capturing the details of its structure and preserving the memory of those lost. As the crew ventured deeper into the Titanic, they discovered a world frozen in time. Personal belongings, once cherished by passengers, lay scattered on the ocean floor. The remains of the grand staircase, once the epitome of opulence, still hinted at the ship's former grandeur. The scientists and historians onboard the Titan Submarine meticulously studied the wreckage, uncovering new insights into the ship's final moments. They pieced together the puzzle of the Titanic's demise, examining the impact of the iceberg, the structural failures, and the human stories of survival and sacrifice. Through their discoveries, the team aimed to honor the memory of the Titanic's passengers and crew while advancing our understanding of maritime safety. Their findings would contribute to improved ship design, emergency protocols, and the preservation of human life at sea. Days turned into weeks as the crew continued their meticulous exploration. The Titan Submarine became a symbol of hope and human resilience, reminding the world of the lessons learned from the Titanic disaster. The expedition sparked a renewed interest in maritime history and safety, inspiring future generations to pursue similar endeavors. Finally, as their mission came to an end, the crew of the Titan Submarine bid farewell to the Titanic, knowing they had fulfilled their duty to commemorate and understand this historic event. With hearts full of reverence, they began their ascent to the surface, carrying with them a newfound appreciation for the delicate balance between human ambition and the unpredictable power of the sea. The story of the Titan Submarine's journey to the Titanic would forever be etched in history, a testament to the indomitable spirit of exploration and the enduring legacy of a legendary ship. It would serve as a reminder that even in the depths of tragedy, there is knowledge to be gained, and from that knowledge, lessons to be learned.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN on Sunday that an embargo on Russian gold exports will strip Moscow of around $19 billion in annual revenue. Pressed over the West’s failure to hurt the Russian economy with sanctions thus far, Blinken predicted that the effects will be seen next year. The US, UK, Canada, and Japan will announce a ban on the import of Russian gold during the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Germany on Sunday, according to a statement from the British government.
Gold is “the second most lucrative export that Russia has, after energy,” Blinken told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “It’s about $19 billion per year, and most of that is within the G7 countries. Cutting that off, denying access to about $19 billion of revenue a year, that’s significant.” Blinken's statement was factually incorrect. In reality, Russia's second most valuable export is food. Foreign sales of agriculture products were worth over $37 billion in 2021, according to Moscow. It is unclear whether the rest of the G7 nations will sign on to the ban, with European Council President Charles Michel saying on Sunday that the EU would first need to determine whether it would be “possible to target gold in a manner that would target the Russian economy and not in a manner that would target ourselves.” US President Joe Biden has said that a gold ban would impose “unprecedented costs on Russian President Vladimir Putin,” and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed that it will “strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine.” However, both leaders said the same about the multiple rounds of sanctions imposed on Russia by their countries and their EU allies. Yet, while Biden promised in March to “crater” the Russian economy, Moscow is reporting record profits from oil and gas sales, and the Russian ruble currently stands at a seven-year high against both the dollar and the euro. Meanwhile, inflation is at its highest level in 40 years in the EU and the US, and customers on both sides of the Atlantic are paying record high fuel prices. Despite agreeing on a Russian oil embargo last month, the EU is reportedly importing more Russian crude now than at any point over the last two months. Russia will also still have the option to sell its gold to refiners, or to look for new buyers in China, India, or the Middle East, as it has done with its fossil fuels. “The US said that Western sanctions against Russia would devastate its economy but that doesn’t seem to be happening. When are these sanctions going to start having the effect that the West and President Biden has promised?” Tapper asked Blinken.
2022 FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS
Fernando Alonso has been handed a time penalty for weaving during today's Canadian Grand Prix, and as a result drops to 9th position. Between turns 10 and 12, on the penultimate lap of the race, the Spaniard made repeated changes of direction to defend against Valtteri Bottas who had to lift at one point and briefly lost momentum. Whilst noting the Spaniard's point that at no stage was any point of Bottas' car alongside his Alpine, the Montreal stewards considered this to be a clear breach of 2 b) of Chapter IV Appendix L of the FIA International Sporting Code and consequently imposed a 5 seconds time penalty in line with that imposed for a similar incident in Australia.
The penalty drops Alonso from 7th to 9th behind the two Alfa Romeos. In addition to the time penalty, Alonso was given a penalty point bringing his twelve month total up to 6. Starting from the front row, the Spaniard's race was compromised by the failure to react strategically to the virtual safety cars, and a subsequent engine issue which saw him fall into the clutches of Bottas and the ensuing DRS train that had built up after the safety car period that followed Yuki Tsunoda's accident. "We had an engine problem on lap 20 where we cut the energy very early on the straights, as soon as we exited the corners," explained the Spaniard at race end. "It was just a case of trying to survive, trying to get the DRS, driving kamikaze in the corners before the detection, because the DRS was my only safety on the straights after that." |
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