Monday, January 16, 2023

UK plan to send migrants to Rwanda faces new court challenge


Mon, January 16, 2023 



LONDON (AP) — British judges gave the go-ahead on Monday for the Court of Appeal to consider challenges to the U.K. government’s plan to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda.

Two High Court judges ruled in December that the controversial policy is legal, rejecting a lawsuit from several asylum-seekers, aid groups and a border officials’ union. The same judges said Monday that the claimants can challenge that decision on issues including whether the plan is “systemically unfair” and whether asylum-seekers would be safe in Rwanda.

No date has been set for the appeal hearing.

The Conservative government struck a deportation agreement with Rwanda last year that is intended to deter migrants from trying to reach the U.K. on risky journeys across the English Channel. More than 45,000 people arrived in Britain across the Channel in 2022, and several died in the attempt.

The U.K. plans to send some migrants who arrive in the country as stowaways or in small boats to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed. Those granted asylum would stay in the East African country rather than return to Britain.

The U.K. government argues that the policy will deter criminal gangs that ferry migrants on hazardous journeys across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

Human rights groups say it is immoral and inhumane to send people more than 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) to a country they don’t want to live in. They also cite Rwanda’s poor human rights record, including allegations of torture and killings of government opponents.

Britain has already paid Rwanda 140 million pounds ($170 million) under the deal struck in April, but no one has yet been sent to the country. The U.K. was forced to cancel the first deportation flight at the last minute in June after the European Court of Human Rights ruled the plan carried “a real risk of irreversible harm.”

Last month, the High Court said the policy didn't breach Britain’s obligations under the U.N. Refugee Convention or other international agreements. But the judges added that the government “must decide if there is anything about each person’s particular circumstances” which meant they should not be sent to Rwanda, and had failed to do that for the eight claimants in the case.

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Follow AP’s coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

The Associated Press
UK
Leasehold nightmare: why owning a council flat could land you with a ‘wipeout’ bill


Shane Hickey
THE GUARDIAN
Mon, January 16, 2023 

Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer

Like many people, teacher Neil Hosken is being careful with money as the cost of living crisis pushes up his food and energy bills, and his low-cost mortgage deal comes to an end. So he was shocked to receive a letter from the council warning of a bill of up to £44,000 for repairs to his home.

Hosken is one of a growing number of leaseholders being hit with enormous bills from local authorities for their estates. Emma Clarke, a neighbour on the Taverner and Peckett Square estate in Islington, got a bill about the same size as the deposit she put down on her one-bedroom flat last May. Another neighbour, who lives in a three-bed flat, faces a bill of up to £61,000.

Hosken says the cost is completely unaffordable, and even breaking it down over five years – one option available – would almost double his current mortgage. “Even with payment plans, unless they are over decades, it simply won’t be possible to find many hundreds of pounds extra a month,” he says.

The neighbours are part of a group of an estimated 60 leaseholders who own flats on the London estate and are being charged for new windows, electrical work, scaffolding, fire safety measures, painting, roofing and brickwork.

These estimated bills are similar to those received by other leaseholders on council-run estates. Since council tenants are not liable for maintenance and repair costs, the bill for entire blocks is divided between leaseholders and the local authority freeholder.

The system has been criticised by campaigners who say that it undermines right-to-buy legislation set up to get people on the property ladder, and puts low-income leaseholders at risk of bankruptcy.

Last month, the Observer featured the case of an artist, Jamie Harris, who faces a bill of £98,000 towards repairs to the building in which he owns a flat. Unlike residents in privately owned buildings, local authority leaseholders have no right to decide the scope and timing of proposed works, or to request alternative quotes from contractors.


Jamie Harris, who faces a bill for £98,000 for repairs.
 Photograph: Sophia Evans/The Observer

In Islington, Hosken says he had budgeted for major works since he bought the flat in 2015, but the amount quoted “totally eclipses” his savings. Payment plans of up to 10 years have been offered by the council.

When she bought her flat, Clarke estimated the cost of the work would be £10,000. “I don’t feel as if I can enjoy my new home as I have this huge bill looming over me. It has left me with a lot of financial insecurity and, to be honest, a constant state of anxiety and worry.

“I am feeling more regretful than joy about my purchase,” she adds. “I live alone, and all outgoings come directly from my pay. And I’m truly concerned about whether I can afford to stay in my home.”

Another resident, who asked not to be named, has been living on the estate for almost 20 years and received an estimate of just over £50,000. “As the cost of living crisis deepens this could mean leaseholders simply cannot afford to continue to live in the property,” he says.


I am incredibly worried. I really fear it will sink me both financially, and in terms of my mental health
Neil Hosken, resident

Another flat owner, who also wished to remain anonymous, completed his purchase earlier last year only to receive an estimate of between £42,000 and £46,000 – similar to the deposit that had taken him a decade to save for. “I finally got my first flat in an area I love, and, in the blink of an eye, I’ve been whacked with this bill. I’m not able to find that sort of money on my salary while also paying my mortgage.”

Augusti George Rego, who is retired, has been in his flat since 1981 and received an estimated bill of between £57,000 and £61,000. “I would expect a Labour council to be more caring to the needs of ordinary citizens. This will take up most of my savings, leaving me at the mercy of friends and family,” he says.

Sebastian O’Kelly of campaign website Leasehold Knowledge Partnership says he receives three calls a week from people faced with “absolute wipeout local authority major works bills”. They are by no means unusual, he says. In many cases, local authorities do not have contingency funds, and the bills come all at once, resulting in private leaseholders having to foot their share.

The attraction of buying a local authority flat is that it puts homeownership within the grasp of those who might otherwise be priced out of the market. “The downside is that a council is your landlord, it has no interest or ability to control costs, and there are very high capital expenditures every so often,” says O’Kelly. However, he adds, one upside for these leaseholders is they do not have to pay for the cladding upgrades that have severely affected people on private estates.

Islington council’s executive member for homes and communities, councillor Una O’Halloran, says works on the Taverner and Peckett Square estate are at an early stage, and costings are “indicative” and “demonstrate value for money”.

“They will be subject to a statutory consultation with leaseholders, and we’re looking forward to listening carefully to their feedback,” she says. “Leaseholders will only receive a formal invoice for payment once the work is complete and the final costs have been agreed, which we anticipate will be around late 2024 to early 2025.”

The leaseholders are due to receive section 20 consultation notices that will confirm how much they must pay. Hosken says they will try to work with the council to reduce the scope of the works to essential repairs but, if they cannot make headway, may have to resort to legal action. “I am incredibly worried. I really fear it will sink me both financially, and in terms of my mental health,” he adds.
CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
Italy's Eni, Esso offices raided in antitrust probe over fuel price breaches


Mon, January 16, 2023
Eni's logo is seen in front of its headquarters in San Donato Milanese

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authority said on Monday the offices of several oil companies, including Italy's Eni and Exxon Mobil Corp's ESSO Italiana unit, have been searched over alleged fuel price violations.

The authority, which carried out the inspections with the help of Italy's tax police, said it was probing irregularities concerning prices being charged at the pump which were higher than those advertised, as well failures in advertising fuel prices.

Eni, Esso, Italia Petroli, Kuwait Petroleum Italia and Tamoil allegedly failed to adopt appropriate measures "to prevent and counteract this unlawful conduct to the detriment of consumers," the competition watchdog said in a statement.

Eni had no immediate comment, while the other companies involved were not immediately available for a comment.

Fuel prices have taken centre stage in Italy after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's executive dropped a costly reduction in excise duties introduced by the previous government when the price of petrol exceeded 2 euros per litre.

(Reporting by Cristina Carlevaro, Francesca Landini, editing by Federico Maccioni and Valentina Za)
Year after death of Indian family at U.S. border, those left behind try to move on


Sun, January 15, 2023 



Baldev Patel cannot remember much of the last conversation he had with his son and, while the memories are fast fading, the hurt remains.

Patel's son, 39-year-old Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, was found dead along with his wife and two children on Jan. 19, 2022, near a border crossing between Manitoba and the United States.

The RCMP has said the family was trying to get into the U.S. during severe winter weather and died from exposure. Investigators also believe the deaths were linked to a human smuggling operation.

Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel's wife was 37-year-old Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel. Their daughter, Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, was 11 years old and their son, Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, was three.

"We worried about him when we didn't hear from him. I talked to him two or three days before he died," Patel said of his son in an interview in Hindi from his home in Dingucha, a village of about 3,000 people in the Gujarat state of western India.

"I can't remember our last conversation very clearly. He had reached Canada. He was going to the U.S. He was happy."

He said his son lived in a single-storey house in Dingucha before leaving for Canada. That house is now locked and unoccupied.

His son held different jobs, including teaching, farming and selling kites, the father said.

"Nothing worked out."

He is not sure how his son decided on the route from Canada to the U.S., or from whom he sought help.

"He wanted to go, he went," Patel said. "He was a 40-year-old man. He knew what he was doing. He carved his own path. What could we say?"

Jayesh Chaudhary, a family friend from the village, said in an interview in Hindi that things have quietened down for the Patels since the deaths.

The family has returned to its ancestral profession of farming, he said.

"There is sadness."

Almost every household from Dingucha has someone living in Canada, the U.S., United Kingdom or Australia, he said.

Chaudhary said police officers have regularly been seen in the village talking to people since the deaths.

Anil Pratham, a high-ranking police official in Gujarat, was involved in investigating the case from January 2022 until September.

Pratham said "lots of people" want to go to a western country with expectations of a better life, financial security and might be willing to break the law to do so.

He said investigators spoke with people who had been questioned in the past for offences relating to fake credentials.

"We had to try to find out if they had any role (in the case)," he said. "Clearly nothing came out for those who were involved (in the investigation), but we saw the process … what documents were used."

The first step of coming to Canada would involve enrolment in a college or getting a job, Pratham said.

"Sometimes they show false documents at that place for admission or for a job," he said, noting their intention might be to cross into the United States.

During his investigation, he said officials followed the case of one man who falsified documents so he could go to the U.S. on a student visa.

"He was not qualified to be admitted to the college," Pratham said. "His intention was not to study, not to do the job, but something else."

What surprised him most about the investigation was the lengths to which people would go to exploit loopholes in the system, he said.

Manitoba RCMPsaid earlier this week that they had no updates on the case.

Nearly a year after their deaths, Patel said he is still asked about the final hours of his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.

"We are here. We don't have all the details," he said. "How are we to know what actually went on?"

In February last year, U.S. officials said a 47-year-old Florida resident had been indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of human smuggling in the case.

Steve Anthony Shand was identified as the driver of a white van near the U.S.-Canada border that was carrying undocumented Indian nationals. He was picked up just south of the border on Jan. 19, 2022, officials said.

Five others from India were spotted soon after in the snow walking in the direction of the van. They told border officers that they had been walking for more than 11 hours in the freezing cold and that four others had become separated from the group overnight.

One man in the group also said he had paid a large amount of money to get a fake student visa in Canada and was expecting a ride to a relative's home in Chicago after he crossed the border, U.S. officials said at the time.

Ajamal Thakor, a Patel family friend who lives in Dingucha, said the parents have suffered a huge loss.

"It's not easy to see your children die," he said in Hindi.

One of the family members arranged a breakfast at the local school to mark the nearly one-year anniversary of the deaths, he said.

"It's an Indian custom."

Chaudhary said most in the close-knit community are trying to move ahead.

"For most, it's just a memory."

But Patel said memories of his son are filled with despair and worry about the future.

His son was supposed to have found a job in the U.S. and help his parents financially in their old age, he said.

"Now, we just are …"

He paused.

"We are in a lot, a lot, a lot of pain."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2023.

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press
CANADA'S MILITARY;TOXIC MASCULINITY
The military cadet program is wrestling with its own systemic sexual misconduct problem

CBC-Mon, January 16, 2023 

Army, sea and air cadets pictured at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in Quebec. Military police report 257 sexual misconduct incidents at cadet camps and units from 2016 to 2019.
(Daniel Coulombe/Radio-Canada - image credit)

A lawyer and veteran representing former cadets in a class action lawsuit says the Canadian cadet program, run by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), is grappling with the same sexual misconduct issues as the military.

Michael Blois, a partner at the Toronto personal injury law firm Diamond & Diamond, said plaintiffs have described a culture in the cadet program that includes grooming, rampant sexual harassment and innuendo, and a lack of follow-up within units and summer camps when cadets have raised sexual misconduct claims with superiors.

Blois and his colleagues filed a $300 million class action lawsuit last year. In the statement of claim, they said the federal government has failed when it comes to "systemic sexual assault, sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination" in the cadet program. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Cadets, who are aged 12 to 18, are not CAF members but CAF members supervise the program. The most senior cadet instructors are commissioned officers in the military's reserve force, and CAF members often participate in cadet training, especially at summer camps. The Canadian Cadet Organizations (CCO) is the body formally responsible for the cadet program.

"If you have a sexualized, discriminatory environment within the Canadian Forces, without a doubt it's going to leak into the cadet organization," Blois told CBC News.

"There is overlap between some members of the Canadian Forces and cadet units, either as volunteers or within the structure of the training ... especially at the summertime in the different camps."

The most recent statistics DND would provide are from a 2020 military police report, which shows there were 257 "founded" incidents of sexual abuse in cadet units and camps over a four-year period from 2016 to 2019. "Founded" means law enforcement had enough evidence to substantiate that the incidents occurred.

Of the 257 incidents, military police classified 215 as sexual assaults, 19 as sexual offences against children and 23 as other sexual-related offences.

The cadet program's purpose is to "help develop skills that will help youth transition into adulthood," the Department of National Defence (DND) says on its website

CAF said in response to CBC inquiries that the cadet program consists of 46,000 youth and over 8,800 military and civilian members. Approximately 16,000 cadets attended summer cadet training centres in 2019, but in-person summer training was cancelled due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Around 3,000 cadets attended summer training centres in 2022, CAF said.

The cadet program is not meant to streamline cadets into the military. But Blois, a Canadian Army veteran who spent 11 years in the CAF, said sexual misconduct issues in the cadet program may deter cadets from pursuing a military career.

"If they are a victim, that's probably steered them away, and that's a real shame," he said.

Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

The military is struggling to meet its recruiting targets. Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre estimates the CAF is short 10,000 regular force members.

Several high-ranking officers in the military are facing allegations of sexual misconduct, and a report last year from former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour called for changes in the CAF's culture and practices to address the issue.

Blois said sexual misconduct in the cadets won't improve until the CAF makes changes.

"Without a wholesale culture change in that regard, there's going to be no change really for the cadets," he said.

Hilary Lockhart, a representative plaintiff in the class action, alleges a cadet instructor groomed her after she joined the cadets in 2008 at age 14. The class action statement of claim said Lockhart reported the instructor's behaviour to a superior, but the cadets took no further action.

After Hilary's mother found explicit texts from the instructor on Hilary's phone, she reported them to the police. Police later charged the instructor, who was convicted.

"I never thought that the cadets program would be the worst thing to ever happen to me and my family," Lockhart said in a news conference last year, which was posted to YouTube.

Lockhart called for more transparency on sexual misconduct in the cadets.

"The fact that this dark history in the program is not divulged to parents is extremely negligent, and, quite frankly, irresponsible," she said.

A DND spokesperson said it cannot comment on ongoing litigation.

Sexual misconduct 'not tolerated' — CAF spokesperson

Maj. Jenn Jackson, the senior public affairs officer for the cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers, said the protection, safety and welfare of cadets is the program's top priority.

"We do not tolerate sexual misconduct involving cadets, their instructors, or anyone involved in the cadet program, and this includes not only unwanted physical contact, but also extends to comments, behaviours, all sexual contact involving minors and written text," Jackson said in an email statement.

Jackson said any potential criminal offence is reported to police and the alleged offender is suspended from cadet activities pending the outcome.

"Cadets are taught that unwanted sexual contact of any kind is unacceptable, and they are encouraged to report any incidents regardless of whether the offender is a peer or superior," Jackson said.

"Counselling, chaplain, police, instructors and other resources are available to cadets who have experienced unwanted sexual touching."

Jackson added that adults working with cadets are required to go through a number of screening processes — including a police records check — every five years. The program also requires that adults go through training to identify and address grooming and luring behaviour, sexual harassment and discriminatory behaviour.

Expert says hierarchical institutions vulnerable to abuse

Dr. Michael Seto, a psychologist and Forensic Research Director at the Royal Ottawa Healthcare Group, said he's not surprised at the amount of sexual misconduct in the cadets. Seto compared the problem with reports about the culture in junior hockey and child sexual abuse controversies in certain religious organizations.

Seto said that institutions with strong hierarchies — including adult supervision of children — can be prone to sexual abuse.

"We know that when there's those kinds of hierarchies in place, it can potentially increase the likelihood of this kind of behaviour," Seto told CBC News.

Victims and witnesses may also be discouraged from reporting sexual misconduct, Seto said.

"If they disclose it, they might be less likely to be believed. They — quite rightly — might believe that there's repercussions if they do or say anything," he said.

Seto said there are ways the cadet program could address the issue. They include establishing clear and accessible reporting processes with appropriate follow-up action, better bystander training and a system that ensures more than one adult is present with cadets at all times.

Blois said he hopes change will start with the cadet leadership.

"I think that clouds a lot of these young cadets views on what they should do or what's appropriate, what's right or what's wrong," he said.

"Because the person who's either assaulting them or grooming them ... is an authority figure that they look up to and are taught is an ethical, reasonable, right person because of their rank or their position."
Report: Myanmar arms industry growing after army takeover

Mon, January 16, 2023



BANGKOK (AP) — Companies from at least 13 countries have helped Myanmar build up its capacity to produce weapons that are being used to commit atrocities following a 2021 military takeover, independent international experts have found.

The report released Monday by the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar details how the country has stepped up arms production since the army seized power on Feb. 1, 2021, igniting a mass public opposition movement.

The army’s takeover from elected civilian leaders reversed nearly a decade of progress toward democracy after 50 years of military rule. After security forces used lethal force against peaceful demonstrators, opponents of military rule took up arms. Some U.N. experts have characterized the situation as a civil war.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has documented more than 2,700 civilian deaths in the violence, including 277 children, while more than 13,000 people have been detained. The true number is believed to be much higher.

Companies in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East are supporting the military supply chain, the report says, urging those businesses to ensure they are not facilitating human rights abuses.


The growth of the homegrown arms industry comes as some countries have enforced arms embargoes or sanctions against individuals and companies involved in trading or manufacturing arms.

In October, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions against Aung Moe Myint, a businessman close to the army who it said facilitates arms deals on its behalf. His brother, Hlaing Moe Myint, and the trading company they founded, Dynasty International Company Ltd., were also targeted. One of its directors, Myo Thitsar, also was designated for sanctions.

In November, the U.S. imposed sanctions on aircraft suppliers to the military, citing deadly air strikes on civilians.

Myanmar has no private arms makers, so any such companies are run by the Ministry of Defense and Directorate of Defense Industries, the report said.

Local factories still can draw upon licensed technology and overseas supply chains, technical support and other backing, sometimes by sending equipment to Singapore and Taiwan for upgrading and maintenance, it said.

In a statement, council expert Chris Sidoti urged that governments investigate and when justified initiate action against companies that enable Myanmar's military to make weapons used in “indiscriminate attacks on civilians."

“Foreign companies that profit from the suffering of the Myanmar people must be held accountable," said Sidoti, a human rights lawyer and a member of the U.N. Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar from 2017 to 2019.

A report last year by the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights outlined some of those links, naming companies in Russia, China, Ukraine, Israel, Singapore and the Philippines.

A major factor driving the buildup in the domestic arms making industry is the risk that imports of arms, military aircraft and other weaponry will be cut off by embargoes or sanctions. The army is now self-reliant in making small arms and light weapons, the report says.

Myanmar's arms-making capacity includes a wide variety of items from assault rifles and machine guns to mortars, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, missiles and missile launchers and artillery and air defense systems, it said.

Land mines and naval mines are among other products being made in Myanmar, said the report, citing people who have worked in the industry and also photos of weapons displayed at a defense and security exhibition in Bangkok that showcased such products.

Weapons factories, known as “KaPaSa," an abbreviation of the local name for the Directorate of Defense Industries, draw on components such as fuses, optical sights and detonating caps imported from India and China. They also have computer numerical control, or CNC, machines for milling, grinding and other functions made in Austria, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and the United States, the report said.

The exact number of such factories is unclear but analysis of satellite images and other information has identified dozens of such facilities.

Much of the technology used in the arms-making industry was transferred for civilian use before the military took control, ousting the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.


But more research is needed on the complex network of suppliers, licensors of technology and other details of weapons manufacturing, the report said.

Myanmar has endured decades of armed conflict between the central government and ethnic minorities seeking greater autonomy, mostly in border regions.

Elaine Kurtenbach, The Associated Press


5 EYES MEMBER WONDERS WHAT GIVES
Military concerned by Canada's absence from American-British-Australian security pact


Sun, January 15, 2023 



OTTAWA — There are concerns at the highest levels of the Canadian Armed Forces that this country won't have access to the same cutting-edge military technology as its closest allies because it is not part of a security pact between Australia, Britain and the United States.

The trilateral treaty, nicknamed "AUKUS" after the three countries involved, was announced in September 2021 in what many have seen as a bid to counter China's growing military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, where Canada has growing economic and security interests.

While much of the attention around the pact has centred on American and British plans to provide nuclear submarine technology to Australia, Vice-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie told The Canadian Press in a recent interview that isn’t the whole story.

Auchterlonie is the commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command. In that role, he is responsible for managing dozens of military operations at home and abroad while closely monitoring the threats and challenges facing Canada and the Armed Forces.

“The fact is that (nuclear submarine) technology has existed for a while, so the sharing of that is not a big deal,” he said.

“The issue is when you start talking about advanced technology in terms of the artificial-intelligence domain, machine learning, quantum, all of these things that really matter moving forward. Those are conversations we need to be in on. And the issue is: Why are we not included in this? Is it resistance to get involved? Is it policy restrictions that we have? Or are we just not going to invest? That's the question. So it is a significant concern.”

The federal Liberal government has not said why Canada is not part of AUKUS, or even whether it was invited, with Defence Minister Anita Anand’s office again sidestepping the question last week.

Anand's spokesman Daniel Minden instead referred to Canada’s participation in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes Australia, Britain, the U.S. and New Zealand, as well as the North American Aerospace Defence Command and the NATO military alliance.

“Through the Five Eyes and our bilateral partnerships, we will continue to work with our closest allies to keep Canadians safe,” Minden said in an email.


The Australian High Commission and U.S. Embassy in Ottawa referred questions to their respective capitals. The British High Commission did not respond to a request for comment.

Some analysts have previously questioned whether Canada’s absence is an indication of impatience over Ottawa’s perceived failure to get tough with China.

The government has in recent months hardened its position on China in a variety of ways, including through a ban on Huawei technology in Canada’s 5G network, new restrictions on foreign ownership in critical minerals and the unveiling of an Indo-Pacific strategy.

That strategy is intended to signal a marked shift in federal policy and priorities toward the region given its growing importance to Canada’s economy and security. It specifically identified China as “an increasingly disruptive global power.”

Many of those actions, such as the Huawei ban, came only after frustration from allies over long delays. Some critics have said the government still isn’t taking a hard enough line with Beijing.

Auchterlonie praised the Indo-Pacific strategy, which includes promises to deploy more naval warships and other military assets to the region while building closer defence relationships with a number of different countries.

“The strategy we have just come up with, and the fact that we have now blocked (Chinese) companies from investing in the North, has been a positive step for Canada, a real positive step,” he added. “I think we recognize the challenge we're facing.”

He also reported no noticeable change when it comes to Canada’s participation in the Five Eyes alliance.

American officials warned for years that they may withhold sensitive intelligence if Canada did not take a stronger position on China, particularly during the Trump administration and as the Liberal government repeatedly put off a decision on Huawei and 5G.

“I work with my Five Eyes partners throughout the globe, and I haven't seen a change in terms of the information-sharing piece,” Auchterlonie said. “So that is good.”

He nonetheless expressed concern about Canada's lack of involvement in AUKUS, even as he acknowledged the issue has political dimensions and it may not be his place as a military officer to express such a sentiment.

“This is probably not my lane, but the fact is: What do I do for a living?” he said.

“I am the operational side of the Armed Forces. Therefore, am I concerned? Do I want to be involved with our closest allies in things? Yes, I do. Absolutely. And I think it's critical given where you see technology moving. Canada needs to be part of that.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2023.

Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press
Carpaccio the artist, not the appetizer, now getting his due

Sun, January 15, 2023 



VENICE, Italy (AP) — When most people think of “carpaccio,” they think of the thinly sliced raw beef appetizer made famous by Venice’s iconic Harry’s Bar. Few people know that the dish is named for a lesser-known Venetian, the Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio, because of the intense red hues he favored.

Carpaccio the painter has recently received more attention outside his native Venice. In November, the National Gallery in Washington inaugurated the first retrospective exhibit of his work outside Italy. The show, “Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice,” is set to move to Venice’s showcase Palazzo Ducale on March 18.

The Washington exhibit includes two Carpaccio paintings that left Venice for the first time in more than 500 years.


“At first, we were a bit hesitant, because allowing these masterpieces to leave their natural habitat is always a risk,” said Piergiorgio Millich, the grand guardian of the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavon fraternity.

The Venice institution, also known as the Scuola Dalmata, or Dalmatian School, has 10 Carpaccio paintings, the most still under the roof of the same place that originally commissioned the artist's work.

Art conservator Valentina Piovan analyzed the works and undertook a yearlong restoration before she convinced the institution that some of the canvases could safely make the journey to Washington.

Piovan is now working on restoration of several other Carpaccios in the headquarters of the fraternity, which was founded in 1451 by a group of Venetians as a social center providing medical and spiritual support for members — mostly sailors in the republic’s naval fleet. When the fleet defeated the Ottomans in the Turkish-Venetian wars, they were paid handsomely.

As a result, they were able to hire one of the most prominent Venetian painters of his time, Carpaccio, to paint a series of paintings dedicated to St. George, the legendary figure who slayed a dragon, saved a princess and convinced the Selenites to convert to Christianity.



In the first painting in the cycle “Saint George and the Dragon,” a masterpiece more than three meters (around 10 feet) long, Carpaccio paints the saint on horseback with his lance thrust into the mouth of the dragon and the ground littered with the body parts of partially devoured humans. The princess, dressed in a “carpaccio” red robe, clasps her hands together in gratitude as she watches the scene from a rocky outcropping above.

It is classic Carpaccio, a combination of narrative storytelling and attention to detail.

And it clearly was an inspiration for Giuseppe Cipriani, the Venetian restauranteur and owner of Harry’s Bar, who invented a dish named for the painter in the 1950s. According to the official Harry’s Bar history, Cipriani had a customer, Contessa Amalia Nani Mocenigo, whose doctors had prescribed a strict diet without cooked meat.

Cipriani came up with a dish of sliced raw beef with a sauce of mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce, and named it after the painter in part because of its ressemblance to his favorite reds that were on exhibit in Venice at the time.

“I think people are starting to get an appreciation of paintings, Venetian paintings, from the very beginning of the 16th century, and also learn maybe where the word carpaccio,” came from, said Melissa Conn, director of the Venice office of Save Venice, an American nonprofit which has provided $400,000 for the restoration of several Carpaccio works.

Trisha Thomas, The Associated Press
Alberta’s new policy on psychedelic drug treatment for mental illness: Will Canada lead the psychedelic renaissance?


Erika Dyck, 
Professor and Canada Research Chair in the History of Health & Social Justice,
 University of Saskatchewan
THE CONVERSATION
Sun, January 15, 2023 

Psychedelics are being held up as a potential solution to the growing need for mental health treatment. But, magic mushrooms are not magic bullets.
 (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Patients in Alberta will now be able to legally consider adding psychedelic-assisted therapy to the list of treatment options available for mental illnesses.

Alberta psychiatrists and policymakers suggest that they are getting ahead of the curve by creating regulations to ensure the safe use of these hallucinogenic substances in a therapeutically supported environment. As of Jan. 16, the option is available only through registered and licensed psychiatrists in the province.

Alberta’s new policy may set a precedent that moves Canadians one step closer to accepting psychedelics as medicinal substances, but historically these drugs were widely sought out for recreational and non-clinical purposes. And, if cannabis has taught us anything, medicalizing may simply be a short stop before decriminalizing and commercializing.

Psychedelic drugs — including LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), MDMA (ecstasy) and DMT (ayahuasca) — are criminalized substances in most jurisdictions around the world, but some people are suggesting it is time to re-imagine them as medicines. A few places are even considering decriminalizing psychedelics altogether, claiming that naturally occurring plants like mushrooms, even “magic” ones, should not be subject to legal restrictions.

In the wake of cannabis reforms, it appears that psychedelics may be the next target in the dismantling of the war on drugs. Canada made bold strides internationally with its widespread cannabis decriminalization, but are Canadians ready to lead the psychedelic renaissance?

Early psychedelic research


There is some precedent for taking the lead. In the 1950s and ‘60s, an earlier generation of researchers pioneered the first wave of psychedelic science, including Canadian-based psychiatrists who coined the word psychedelic and made headlines for dramatic breakthroughs using LSD to treat alcoholism.

Vancouver-based therapists also used LSD and psilocybin mushrooms to treat depression and homosexuality. While homosexuality was considered both illegal and a mental disorder until later in the 1970s, psychedelic therapists pushed back against these labels as patients treated for same-sex attraction more often experienced feelings of acceptance — reactions that aligned this particular approach in Vancouver with the gay rights movement.


Despite positive reports of clinical benefits, by the end of the 1960s psychedelics had earned a reputation for recreational use and clinical abuse. And, there was good reason to draw these connections, as psychedelic drugs had moved from pharmaceutical experimentation into mainstream culture, and some researchers had come under scrutiny for unethical practices.

Regulation and criminalization

Most legal psychedelics ground to a halt in the 1970s with a set of regulatory prohibitions and cultural backlash. In public health reports since the 1970s, psychedelics have been described as objects of unethical research, recreational abuse and personal risk including injury and even death.

Underground chemists and consumers tried to combat this image, suggesting that psychedelics provided intellectual and spiritual insights and enhanced creativity.

Most jurisdictions around the world criminalized psychedelics, whether for clinical research or personal experimentation. Indigenous and non-western uses of hallucinogenic plants of course stretch back even further in history, and these too came under legal scrutiny through a combination of colonial pressures to assimilate and a looming war on drugs that did not distinguish between religious practices and drug-seeking behaviours.

The return of psychedelics


At the moment, the next generation of scientific research on psychedelics still lags behind the popular enthusiasm that has catapulted these substances into the mainstream. 
(AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

In the last decade, regulations prohibiting psychedelics have started relaxing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has designated breakthrough therapy status to MDMA and psilocybin, based on their performance in clinical trials with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression, respectively.

Health Canada has provided exemptions for the use of psilocybin for patients with end-of-life anxiety, and has started approving suppliers and therapists interested in working with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Training programs for psychedelic therapists are popping up across Canada, perhaps anticipating a change in regulation and the current lack of trained professionals ready to deliver psychedelic medicine.

At the moment, the next generation of scientific research on psychedelics still lags behind the popular enthusiasm that has catapulted these substances into the mainstream. Celebrity testimonials and compelling patient accounts are competing for our attention.

Meanwhile, the growing burden of mental illness continues to overwhelm our health-care systems. Psychedelics are being held up as a potential solution. But, magic mushrooms are not magic bullets.
Beyond the medical marketplace

Historically hallucinogenic substances have defied simple categorization as medicines, spiritual enhancers, toxins, sacred substances, rave drugs, etc. Whether or not Health Canada, or the province of Alberta, reclassifies psychedelics as a bona fide therapeutic option, these psychoactive substances will continue to attract consumers outside of clinical settings.

Canada has an opportunity to take the lead once more in this so-called psychedelic renaissance. But, it might be our chance to invest in more sustainable solutions to harm reduction and ways of including Indigenous perspectives, rather than racing to push psychedelics into the medical marketplace.

Indigenous approaches to sacred plants are not only about consuming substances, but involve preparation, intention and integration, often structured in ritualistic settings that are as much about spiritual health as physical or mental health.

This cosmology and approach does not easily fit under the Canada Health Act, nor is it obvious who should be responsible for regulating or administering rituals that sit outside of our health-care system. These differences in how we might imagine the value of psychedelics is an opportunity to rethink the place of Indigenous knowledge in health systems.

We are well positioned to take a sober approach to the psychedelic hype, which has been driven in large part by financial interests, and consider what aspects of the psychedelic experience we want to preserve.

Now may be a good time to reinvest in our public institutions to ensure that psychedelics don’t simply become another pharmaceutical option that profits private investors. Instead, we have an opportunity with psychedelics to rethink how a war on drugs has harmed individuals and communities and how we might want to build a better relationship with pharmaceuticals.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Erika Dyck, University of Saskatchewan

Read more:

The real promise of LSD, MDMA and mushrooms for medical science

Psychedelic experiences disrupt routine thinking — and so has the coronavirus pandemic

Erika Dyck receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She is a board member of the US not-for-profit Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.

SEE




Information literacy courses can help students tackle confirmation bias and misinformation


James Wittebols, Professor of Political Science, University of Windsor
THE CONVERSATION
Sun, January 15, 2023

Understanding our confirmation biases can help us tackle fake news and misinformation. (Shutterstock)

When it comes to the news these days, what we choose to regard as trustworthy has more to do with our own world view than what kinds of news practices are worthy of trust.

Many people are seeking out news that aligns with their politics. But there’s just one problem with this: we are not always good judges of what constitutes trustworthy information and news.

That’s why learning about news and information literacy is so important. An information literacy course I teach at the University of Windsor, Information Searching and Analysis, tries to show students that the same phenomenon which makes us poor judges can also be turned around to make us better, more critical consumers of news and information.

The process I use in this information literacy course does not encourage “trust” in mainstream or legacy news media per se. Rather, students learn to assess news based on the characteristics of a news story: multiple, adversarial sources, the use of statistics and data in which the sources are named and can be accessed independently, the kinds of advertising present and whether it is related to the story.
First lesson: Check your confirmation bias

Confirmation bias suggests that our prior knowledge and experiences often inform our opinions. However, by becoming aware of our confirmation bias tendencies, we can begin to self-critique the way we process information and learn more about ourselves and how we interpret news and information.

The solution comes in the form of an experiential assignment in which students realize their confirmation bias tendencies. Students are tasked with a weekend assignment in which they look for and report on examples of confirmation bias around them and in media reports. They are told to focus mostly on themselves — how they often engage in confirmation bias.

By becoming aware of our confirmation biases, we can self-critique the way we process information and news.
(Shutterstock)

The assignment is an eye opener. In their end-of-semester papers, 80 per cent of students in the Information Searching and Analysis class noted that the assignment was an important element of the course. Here are a few examples:

“I knew that in some aspects of my life, I may have exhibited confirmation bias towards certain ideas. However, I did not think it was as prominent as it was after the completion of the assignment.”

“…relating to my personal life, this was the most important assignment.”

“I think it was the most impactful and (will) stick with me the longest.”

“It was an insanely enriching experience for me to pull my biases out of the woodwork, particularly for someone like myself who regards themselves as quite unbiased when it comes to anything.”

“…extremely valuable was the consciousness I developed in regard to (how) social media was exclusively forming my opinions… I believe this is perhaps the most universal function of the class.”

The course uses a flipped classroom approach. Flipped classrooms use class time for discussion, group activities and experiential education instead of lectures and passive forms of learning.

The key is self-confrontation. All the ways to engage in confirmation bias cannot be conveyed through a dry explanation of the concept. The point is to not preach or lecture them about their “faults.” Rather, it is about letting them understand for themselves how confirmation biases can result in inaccurate learning that may have negative effects.

Media framing


Over the rest of the semester students explore a social justice issue by looking at how interest groups, journalists and academic researchers have treated the issue. This serves to give them a holistic view of the information field and leads to a better understanding of both the issue and the social dynamics that inform debate about it.


Greater information literacy enables us to assess how trustworthy the news we see on social media is. (Shutterstock)

It is also crucial that students understand the nature of sponsored content and other native ads which may look like news but embed a point of view.

News, information and misinformation play a significant role in improving and undermining democratic discourse and decision-making. Educators at all levels will need to give news and information literacy greater attention to ensure students know how to critique the news they encounter.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: James Wittebols, University of Windsor