Sean Fraser: 'Unacceptable' that immigrant surgeons are working as taxi drivers

Story by Naimul Karim •  Financial Post

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser says Canada’s new immigration plan aims to accept in a record 1.45 million newcomers in the next three years.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said changes to Canada’s immigration program next year will rebalance the world’s “most powerful economic migration system” in a way that will help hospitals, builders and other employers address chronic labour shortages, as opposed to focusing mainly on “highly skilled workers.”

Fraser revealed that he plans to introduce new selection tools earlier this month while unveiling Canada’s new immigration plan , under which the government aims to accept in a record 1.45 million newcomers in the next three years. This is linked to a change in rules made under the express entry system through the Budget Implementation Act that was adopted in the House of Commons in June.

“This is a completely different approach than what has been the case historically, which simply did a draw for the highest scoring people in the system regardless of which sector they were going to work in or which region they are destined to,” Fraser said in an interview on Nov. 23.

The new selection tools will allow Fraser and future ministers to select immigrants to fill job gaps in specific industries and regions. By way of example, Fraser said he can now sift through applications to address New Brunswick’s shortfall of French language educators, Nova Scotia’s chronic lack of nurses, or Ontario’s constant struggle to find enough carpenters.

Economists and business associations mostly lauded Ottawa’s pledge to use immigration to address the labour crisis, as employers went into the summer with a record one million job vacancies, according to Statistics Canada.

Tiff Macklem, the Bank of Canada governor, said earlier this month that if Canada’a labour pool was larger, he probably wouldn’t have needed to raise interest rates as aggressively as he has this year to contain inflation. That’s because the shortage puts upward pressure on wages and hinders the ability of companies to keep up with demand.

The issue is bigger than volume. While technology companies are generally complimentary of Ottawa’s immigration efforts, other industries complain that the government became too enamoured with recruiting coders and software engineers. At the same time, non-tech immigrants who make it to Canada struggle to have their skills recognized by various professional associations, which hurts productivity because workers are blocked from meeting their full potential.

Fraser vowed to resolve both problems.

“The idea that we have neuro and dental surgeons who are working as taxi drivers … is unacceptable,” the minister said. “It’s really frustrating for me when I meet talented people who have arrived in Canada but are not able to contribute at their full potential.”

One of the professions most in need of workers is home builders, which according to BuildForce Canada , a national organization representing all sectors of the construction industry, are in high demand. The Ontario government last month said the province will need about 100,000 more construction workers this decade to meet its goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031.

An argument against elevated immigration levels is the strain an influx of people could put on cities that are already short of housing stock. Critics argue that increased targets should align with infrastructure plans to ensure that the necessary services are in place to welcome everyone.

Fraser makes the point that by recruiting more construction workers, he can help accelerate the building of more homes, describing the labour shortage in the trades as “greatest bottleneck” to more supply.


A new Canadian attends a citizenship ceremony in Vancouver. New selection tools will allow Canadian officials to select immigrants to fill job gaps in specific industries and regions.© Darryl Dyck

When asked about specific plans on the roadmap that links immigration to Canada’s housing growth in the near future, the minister said that would be revealed by the housing ministry and that he didn’t want to “broadcast decisions” that the government hasn’t formally disclosed as yet.

There’s a risk that worries about whether communities can handle a sharp increase in newcomers will test favourable attitudes about immigration. A survey conducted by researchers Leger and the Association of Canadian Studies on 1,537 Canadians two weeks after the release of the government’s immigration plan said about 75 per cent were either somewhat or very concerned about the impact of the increased targets on the housing sector, which saw a steep rise in prices in the last three years, and social services.

A poll conducted by Environics Institute for Survey Research prior to the release of the new immigration plan, however, said that 85 per cent of its respondents felt that welcoming newcomers would lead to economic benefit, which is the highest number recorded by the group in 30 years.

Fraser, who has seen schools and mental health units close down in his home province of Nova Scotia due to depopulation, said he believes that most Canadians support immigration.

“I have seen a number of different polls that indicate a variety of different outcomes,” Fraser said. “Despite the fact that we need to continue to watch closely things like housing and the capacity of our … public services, we also need to be live to the fact that there are very real and severe economic and demographic consequences to not continuing to grow our population.”

Fraser added that aside from the housing and healthcare industries, technology firms were also “singing the same song” of needing more labour. “There is not a tech company that is positioned for growth in this country that I have spoken to, who has access to all of the talent that they need to grow,” said Fraser.

Aside from tackling labour shortage the minister pointed out that there are just three workers for every retiree today, compared seven about 50 years ago, a number that’s likely to decline if Canada doesn’t pursue growth through immigration.

Canada to admit 1.4 million immigrants in three years to address labour shortages

Canada’s housing woes won’t be solved by restricting newcomers, says immigration minister

Workers in Canadian Tire’s supply chain not paid ‘living wages,’ union complains

To be sure, that argument is contested by some economists, including Mikal Skuterud, a professor at the University of Waterloo, who said the number of retirements impacting the labour pools has been “overplayed” and that the impact of aging was more of a trend line that led to tighter market conditions rather than a sudden glut of grey-haired workers leaving the workforce in droves. According to Skuterud, immigration is an effective way to dampen the nominal wage growth to keep the wage pace from accelerating too quickly and triggering a wage-price spiral.

Fraser, though, said that at a macro level across the economy, there’s an urgent need to embrace immigration. “T he cost of choosing not to fill those vacancies is enormous to the Canadian economy,” he said.

• Email: nkarim@postmedia.com | Twitter: naimonthefield

COACHING IS ABUSE
Canada's sliders hopeful of progress after calls for leadership change answered

Story by Devin Heroux •

Standing on the side of the mountain in the picturesque setting of the Whistler Sliding Centre, just steps away from the track where she will begin her World Cup season, Canadian bobsleigh pilot Cynthia Appiah takes a deep breath.

"There are going to be moments where you kind of sit back and you reflect on this and wonder how you got through that. How did my teammates go through that?" the 32-year-old tells CBC Sports, reflecting on a turbulent eight months at Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton [BCS], the governing body for the sports in Canada.

"I think as athletes we learn to fight through adversity. We never want to give up until we absolutely have to, and so I don't know if that's like a tool that we build within ourselves or we're just naturally inclined to fight through the negativity."

In March, upward of 80 skeleton and bobsleigh athletes stood resolute in their calls for change at BCS. Citing a toxic and authoritarian culture, the athletes demanded the resignation of the organization's leaders, including Sarah Storey, CEO and president of the board of directors, and high-performance director Chris Le Bihan.

For months those calls got louder and headlines swirled, stories laced with descriptions of the organization's grim culture of intimidation.

Appiah was part of the group asking for something to change.

"I've been on the national team since 2015 and I don't think I've ever felt like my voice was ever heard by the leadership and I think this is now the turning of the page that we've been asking for for so long," Appiah said.

She was poised to make her Olympic debut at the Pyeongchang Games in 2018 but just weeks before they were to begin she was demoted to an alternate spot. It was heartbreaking and she nearly left the sport because of it. She describes an atmosphere in BCS that left her feeling unheard, fearful and disrespected.

"I count myself one of the lucky ones, and I use that term very loosely, because of what happened in 2018 with the decision to put me on as a reserve athlete," Appiah said. "That's something that took a long time to get over."

At the beginning of November, Storey declined to run for a third term, opening up the door for Tara McNeil to take over as president. Stephen Norris remained as vice-president.

"It was an interesting offseason because we knew that it wouldn't be a cakewalk," Appiah said. "We just needed something different and that's what we're looking for at the end of the day. Whatever the opinions may be of any individual I think we felt that we wanted to grow the sport and our vision wasn't aligning with the current leadership."


Appiah piloted Canada's two-woman sled in the Beijing Olympics in February.© AFP via Getty Images

Challenges of past months linger

Appiah and skeleton athlete Mirela Rahneva serve as athlete representatives in the organization.

"To be honest with you I had been tinkering with it for some time, but one of the stumbling blocks was that I felt the leadership needed to change before I actually put my name forward," Appiah said. "I knew in good conscience I didn't want to be a part of the athlete rep board if leadership stayed the same.

"I feel like this is just the next natural step in being a veteran on the team."

Rahneva is optimistic about this new direction.

"I think a lot of growth has happened. A lot of personal growth, and federation growth," Rahneva said.

She, like many others on the team, wants to look forward now — but the challenging circumstances of the last number of months still linger.

"I have had to put it kind of on a 'tree.' I 'tree' things that I have to deal with later. Right now I'm focusing on racing."



Skeleton athlete Mirela Rahneva along with Appiah serve as athlete representatives in BCS.© Associated Press

'Doesn't happen overnight'

When asked if there is already a healthier atmosphere around the organization, Rahneva is careful with her words.

"It's trying to. It's really trying to. It doesn't happen overnight," she said. "I think there are a lot of processes and a lot of people at the table that play a role in the change that occurs. Sometimes those people all mean well but they have different agendas or different goals. So it's kind of like a dance that you have to play out I guess."

Norris acknowledges they have a lot of work to do as an organization, not just to restore the good faith of the athletes but Canadians as well.

"Don't give up on us. We are working hard and I mean very hard. This board, the staff and the athletes are making sure we have that stable fortitude and platform so that we can make Canadians proud again," he said. "The level of trust is something we have to work really hard to rebuild. All of us. Staff. Board. Athletes. Sponsors. And our amazing support from funding agencies."

Norris said he's been heartened by the amount of openness and vulnerability shown by athletes who have been willing to speak out to try to be part of the solution.

"In all of this adversity we have an opportunity to lay the groundwork for something as a community can be proud of. I hope we can look back on this and say this was the tipping point we needed to sort ourselves out as a group," he said.

There is a feeling from both sides right now, athletes and leadership, that they are moving in the same direction. Bobsleigh and skeleton athletes know they compete in a niche sport that once every four years is thrust into the spotlight at the Olympics.

So to be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons outside of that timeframe has left many who love the sport with a bad taste in their mouths.


Justin Kripps won a gold medal driving Canada's four-man sled in 2018 and has since retired to coach.© Getty Images

Kripps transititoned to coach

It's why Olympic gold medallist Justin Kripps, who retired in August after 16 years of piloting Canadian sleds, made the quick transition to coach on the team.

He was instrumental in helping grow the sport in the country through his consistent and podium performances for so long — Kripps also feels he had many positive experiences throughout his career, something he now wants to provide the next generation of athletes.

"I think everyone wants to move forward. I hope both sides want to do that. That's the key ingredient to this. Acknowledging what happened and then moving forward from here," he said.

"With all the stuff going on this summer with BCS I thought it was important to stay involved at least for a little bit and pass on some knowledge I've accrued. It saddened me to see how many negative experiences there were because my career has been the opposite. I look back on it with such fond memories.

"I thought if I could help more people be more likely to have that experience then I should try and help for a bit."

Decision on North American auto rules dispute 'imminent', Canada says

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A decision should be made very soon on a dispute pitting Canada and Mexico against the United States on the interpretation of regional trade rules in the auto industry, Canada Minister of International Trade Mary Ng said on Friday.

Canada this year joined Mexico in a complaint against the United States over how to apply automotive sector content requirements under the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) free trade agreement, which came into effect in 2020.

"I'm looking forward to a decision. I understand it's pretty imminent," Ng told Reuters in Mexico City, where she was attending meetings of the Pacific Alliance trade group.

Under USMCA, a deal crafted at the urging of former U.S. President Donald Trump to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), 75% of a vehicle's components are meant to originate in the region to quality for tax-free status.

Mexico and Canada favor a more flexible interpretation of the rules than Washington, and Mexico said in August that dispute panel hearings were beginning. Mexican officials have expressed confidence the panel will favor their arguments.

Ng would not be drawn on whether a decision would come in 2022, and when asked how she expected it to turn out, said:

"Canada is confident from the standpoint of: this is our understanding of how we negotiated the trade agreement."

Ng during her visit also underlined concerns among Canadian investors in Mexico's energy and mining sectors about steps taken by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to tighten state control of energy and natural resources.

Those disagreements have led to a separate energy dispute under USMCA that pits Ottawa and Washington against Mexico.

Ng said she had reminded Mexican officials many affected investors were Canadian pension funds for groups like teachers.

"So it's really important that those investments that have been made here in Mexico are respected in accordance with our trade obligations," she said.

The minister also said she was hopeful that Canada would next year be made an associate member of the Pacific Alliance, whose core members are Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile.

Ng this week said Canada had begun exploratory discussions with Ecuador over a potential free trade agreement. While it was too early to say when a deal could be struck, talks were beginning from "a really good place", she said.

(Reporting by Dave Graham; editing by Grant McCool)

FILE PHOTO: Canada's Minister of International Trade Ng speaks on Parliament Hill in Ottawa© Thomson Reuters

Iranian-Kurdish footballer arrested on charges of incitement against the regime

Story by Raja Razek • CNN

An Iranian-Kurdish footballer has been arrested on charges of “incitement against the regime” as Tehran cracks down on anti-government protesters, according to state-aligned news agency Tasim.

Video shows brutal Iranian crackdown on Kurdish people
Duration 3:19   View on Watch

Voria Ghafouri, who plays as a defender for the Khuzestan Foolad soccer team, was also arrested on charges of “dishonorable and insulting comportment towards Iran’s national soccer team.”

“Ghafouri had some harsh reactions in support of the recent rioters and was inciting them,” state affiliated Fars News Agency reported.


Iranian-Kurdish footballer arrested on charges of incitement against the regime© Provided by CNNVoria Ghafouri (right), pictured in January 2015, was arrested on charges of "dishonorable and insulting comportment towards Iran's national soccer team." - Brandon Malone/Reuters

London-based opposition news outlet Iran International said the star footballer was fired in June from his previous team, Esteghlal FC, for criticizing the government in May when he rebuked it for “its handling of protests sparked by a sudden rise in prices.”

Iranian authorities criticized Ghafouri in relation to the protests earlier in the year, sparked by a spike in food prices after the government cut state subsidies causing costs to shoot up by 300% in some cases.

Iran has since been swept by national anti-regime demonstrations set off by the death of Mahsa Amini in September, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman who was detained by the country’s morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

The demonstrations have shed light on longstanding grievances held by the country’s Kurdish minority group, whom security forces have targeted in their brutal campaign clamping down on dissent in Iran.

Ghafouri is from Sanandaj, Iran’s second largest Kurdish city, according to the Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.


Iranian-Kurdish footballer arrested on charges of incitement against the regime© Provided by CNNGhafouri, pictured in June 2021, is part of Iran's Kurdish minority community, which the government has targeted in its clampdown on anti-regime dissent. - Mohammad Karamali/DeFodi Images/Getty Images

Ghafouri joins a slew of Iranian athletes who have spoken out in support of the national uprising.

Iran’s former national team goalkeeper, Parviz Boroumand, was arrested last week for destroying public property in Tehran during a protest on November 15, according to Tasnim.

Boroumand, 47, played for Persepolis FC and Esteghlal FC before retiring in 2007 to focus on social activism and humanitarian work. He was outspoken in his support of protesters in Iran on his social media channels before his arrest.

Former Iranian footballer Ali Karimi posted his support for Ghafouri and Boroumand after their arrests. “For the honorable Ghafouri,” Karimi tweeted Thursday along with a picture of Ghafouri dressed in Kurdish garb.

Karimi, who now lives outside of Iran, has been subject to intense scrutiny from the Iranian government for vocalizing his support for protesters since late September.

In November, archer Parmida Ghasemi demonstrated her support for anti-government protests by removing her hijab during an awards ceremony in Tehran. Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without her mandatory hijab on in the month prior, later saying it had fallen off accidentally. However, it was unclear whether Rekabi’s comments were made under duress.

Jomana Karadsheh and Celine Alkhaldi contributed to this report.

Wales vs Iran result: How 64-year Welsh World Cup dream turned into a nightmare

Story by Sam Dean, Thomas Ward • 

Wales' Gareth Bale looks dejected after the FIFA World Cup Group B match at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium - 'It's gutting, we're gutted': How Iran turned Wales' 64-year World Cup dream into a nightmare - PA/Nick Potts© PA/Nick Potts

02:31 PM
Report

Wales collapse after Hennessey sees reed

Not even Wayne Hennessey, the great survivor of this Wales squad and a veteran of more than 100 international appearances, would have thought himself capable of surviving this particular VAR check. As soon as referee Mario Escobar was asked to consult the pitchside monitor, Hennessey would have known the truth of it. His game was over, his World Cup almost certainly finished.

As it turned out, that soon became true of his team as a whole. It is now difficult to see any way back into the tournament for Wales, who never lack effort but did lack quality throughout this chaotic meeting with Iran. Yes, Hennessey’s moment of recklessness proved fatal. But no, Wales were not heading for victory before he charged from his line and scissor-kicked Medhi Taremi, the Iran striker, instead of the ball.

To watch the challenge in the flesh, even from high up in the stands of the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, was to almost feel the impact of it yourself. The thud could not be heard, but the magnitude of the collision could certainly be seen. The first reaction was to wince. The second was to wonder how on earth Hennessey had only received a yellow card.

That yellow soon became red, of course, as the replays were shown and the true nature of the misjudgement became clear. Such was the ferocity of the hit, on first viewing at least, that it triggered memories of the infamous collision between Harald Schumacher, the former West Germany goalkeeper, and Frenchman Patrick Battiston in 1982.



Mehdi Taremi of IR Iran is fouled by Wayne Hennessey of Wales which leads to Hennessey been shown a red card and sent off during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Catherine Ivill/Getty Images© Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Thankfully, it soon became clear that any comparisons between those two goalkeeping fouls would be grossly unfair, as Taremi was able to continue unharmed. But the consequences for Hennessey and his team were disastrous nonetheless, with the ten men of Wales unable to withstand any more of Iran’s relentless attacks. “The red card obviously changed the game,” said Daniel James, the Wales winger.

Hennessey’s generation of Wales players, including his best friend Gareth Bale, have made a habit of exceeding expectations and staying defiant against the usual realities of this sport. Here, those realities caught up with them at last. These players can only outrun time and disregard physiological science for so long, before eventually the hill proves too steep and the task proves too great.

The emotions of football can swing at any moment, for any player, and for Hennessey the pain of his error will no doubt be as strong as the joy he felt in June, when he produced a phenomenal showing in their play-off against Ukraine. “The best performance I have ever seen from a goalkeeper,” said Bale of his friend that day.



Gareth Bale of Wales seems disappointed as players of Iran celebrate after scoring a goal during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between Wales and Iran - Anadolu Agency/Getty Images© Provided by The Telegraph

On afternoons such as those, Hennessey has appeared to be so much more than what his CV suggests. As if he was living a different life, and existing in a footballing fantasy. But in the real world he is a 35-year-old in the final days of his career, playing as a backup for Nottingham Forest. Before this tournament he had made only two appearances all season, and the fantasy of June’s performance in Cardiff ultimately melted away in the heat of Doha.

Perhaps it was rustiness that caused his wild tackle on Taremi. Perhaps it was the pressure of the occasion, with the game in its 86th minute and Welsh hopes on the line. Or maybe it was simpler than that: a split-second decision, a lost race, a gamble that did not pay off.

Hennessey was not alone in struggling, even if his errors ultimately proved the most costly. Bale was anonymous, scrambling for a foothold that never appeared. Aaron Ramsey was similarly ineffective, permanently wandering out of position. Even Joe Allen, such a reliable member of this group, was at fault for Iran’s second goal.

“You can carry one or two players if they have off days,” said Rob Page, the Wales manager. “But when the majority of the team are not quite at it, there is only going to be one outcome. We fell well below the standards we have set in recent months. When you do that in top competitions, you get punished.”

Would Hennessey have been able to save the first of Iran’s goals, scored from range by Rouzbeh Cheshmi? Possibly. Danny Ward, the substitute goalkeeper with a smaller wingspan, made the slightest of touches with his fingers as the shot fizzed into the corner. Neither goalkeeper would have stopped the second, converted delicately on the counter-attack by Ramin Rezaeian.

“It is a hard one to take,” said Page. “I have said to the players before every game, ‘go out and show the world what you show us every day’. That performance is not a true reflection of the team. We deserved that defeat.”

Wales face England next, but what then? What now for the golden generation? Where do players like Bale, Ramsey and Hennessey go from here? And where can Wales realistically go without them?

Page and his coaching staff will be asking these questions, too. First they will let the dust settle on this defeat, and then on this tournament. After that, there will have to be a shift. Perhaps not immediately, but change is coming. The players of Bale’s generation have been living their dream for so long, overcoming hurdles that many thought to be insurmountable, but this felt like the day a nation was finally forced to wake up.

01:35 PM
Former players react

Former Wales striker Ian Rush speaking on the BBC

Second half was like a cup game, both teams needed to win it

Wales gave it 100 per cent but it was a lack of finishing and second half Iran were the better team.

Ex-Wales defender Ashely Williams added

Wales gave it everything like they always do.

We probably didn't create enough and didn't have enough chances on the Iranian goal. I'm gutted for the boys.

01:13 PM
Rob Page reacts

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales.

Our performance before the red card was not acceptable.

We hoped it would all come together today, but we were nowhere near the levels we've set and the standards we've set in recent games.

One or two you can carry, but when there are so many off days there is only one outcome.

I always take responsibility, that's my team, the sending off didn't help of course but at that point we had five forwards on the pitch so couldn't get a defensive shape.

But yes I'll always take responsibility for performances.

It's a difficult changing room at the minute but we will be ready [against England], it's a local derby and a great game to finish on and we'll be prepared to go.



Rob Page, Head Coach of Wales, reacts during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between Wales and IR Iran at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium - Julian Finney/Getty Images© Julian Finney/Getty Images

Christian Trump event left evangelical pastor 'absolutely terrified and horrified'

Opinion by Brad Reed • RAW STORY

An evangelical pastor has made it his new mission to lead his fellow Christians away from what he believes is a self-destructive worship of former President Donald Trump.


Woman wearing red Make America Great Again hat praying at Stop the Steal rally in support of Donald Trump in Montana. (Brandi Lyon Photography / Shutterstock.com)© provided by RawStory

In an interview with the Toronto Globe and Mail, Pastor Caleb Campbell revealed that he decided to make wooing Christians away from the MAGA movement his personal cause after he attended a Christian event hosted by Turning Point USA, the right-wing activist group founded by Charlie Kirk.

During the event he attended, says Campbell, Kirk misappropriated quotes from the Bible in order to make it sound like God wanted Christians to be armed to the teeth with firearms.

"I was absolutely terrified and horrified," Campbell tells the Globe and Mail.

READ MORE: Trump is 'really impressed' with white supremacist leader Nick Fuentes: Kanye West

He then elaborated to describe how disturbed he was by Kirk taking people's deeply held religious faith and welding it directly to a hardcore right-wing political agenda.

“What was shocking to me was the people in the room raising their hands and saying, ‘Amen. Hallelujah,'" he said. "They were having a religious experience."

Although American Christians advocating for conservative policies is nothing new, Campbell believes that this new Trump-led evangelism is more dangerous in that it evokes the spirit of white nationalism.

"This is a mean-spirited, vulgar grab for power with violent rhetoric," he said. "I’m familiar with what it means to be enculturated toward violent behavior."

UN experts equate discrimination against women in Afghanistan to crimes against humanity

A group of United Nations rapporteurs has denounced that abuses committed by the Taliban against women and girls in Afghanistan may amount to crimes against humanity and called on the international community to continue to press for the respect of freedoms and rights.


Amnesty recalls that women in Afghanistan suffer "unlimited oppression" by the Taliban

The experts warned that human rights violations "have increased dramatically" in a country that already had some of the "most serious and unacceptable" abuses in the world.

In this sense, they have condemned the veto to women in secondary education or in parks and gyms and, in general terms, that leisure is reduced to a minimum. "Confining women to their homes is tantamount to imprisoning them and will likely lead to higher levels of domestic violence and mental health problems," they said in a statement.

The Taliban also extend their control efforts to men deemed 'responsible' for women who break the regime's strict doctrines, which experts say means encouraging male citizens to "control" the behavior of others themselves, to avoid suffering punishment themselves.

The rapporteurs have urged the Taliban to respect international law and to release all those arbitrarily detained for their persecution of women. They also want women to be able to carry out their activist work "without intimidation and attacks".

They have asked the rest of the world to make respect for women's rights "central" to any discussion with the Afghan regime, while hoping that other countries can investigate and even prosecute those who carry out "gender persecution" in Afghanistan.

Federal government posts $1.7 billion surplus for April to September period

OTTAWA — The federal government posted a surplus of $1.7 billion during the first six months of the 2022-23 fiscal year.


Federal government posts $1.7 billion surplus for April to September period© Provided by The Canadian Press

In its monthly fiscal monitor, the finance department says the surplus between April and September compares to a deficit of $68.6 billion reported for the same period last year.

Compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year, government revenues were up $32.8 billion, or 18.6 per cent, as revenue streams continue to improve.

Program expenses were also down $40.3 billion, or 17.9 per cent, largely due to the expiration of COVID-19 measures.

Higher interest rates and inflation have driven up the cost of public debt charges by $5.6 billion, or 47.8 per cent, compared to the same period last year.

Net actuarial losses were down $2.8 billion, or 36.1 per cent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2022.

The Canadian Press

Long-term rate hikes effects will be 'more powerful' than people think: Poloz


OTTAWA — The full effects of interest rate hikes have yet to be felt — and will be "even more powerful" than many anticipate, said former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz Thursday in a speech about ways Canada can chart a path toward economic growth during uncertain times.


Long-term rate hikes effects will be 'more powerful' than people think: Poloz© Provided by The Canadian Press

Speaking at a conference hosted by Western University's Ivey Business School in Ottawa on Thursday, the former governor warned today’s economy is more sensitive to interest rates than it was 10 years ago.

"Does anybody here think the sensitivity of the economy to interest rate movements is less today than it was five or 10 years ago?" Poloz asked. "I think it's more sensitive today than it was before."

Poloz estimates annual inflation will fall to about four per cent on its own as external factors, such as higher commodity prices, ease. Statistics Canada's most recent annual inflation rate sat at 6.9 per cent in October.

He said policy action will need to do the rest of the work to get inflation back down to the central bank's two per cent target.

"I think that the actions that are being taken to get us there will turn out to be even more powerful than a lot of people think," Poloz said, citing higher debt loads in the Canadian economy as a vulnerability.

The former governor is the chair of the Lawrence National Centre for Policy and Management, an independent think tank hosted at Ivey.

Poloz began his remarks by sharing his thoughts on the drivers of high inflation and where prices are headed. His speech also offered a set of recommendations on how Canada can improve long-term economic growth during volatile times.

He said the think tank will offer a summary of the recommendations to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland next week.

Poloz finished his seven-year term as Bank of Canada governor a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the central bank has dramatically shifted gears from the extraordinary stimulus measures of 2020 to rapid monetary policy tightening.

The Bank of Canada began raising interest rates in March to clamp down on rising inflation. Since then, the central bank raised its key interest rate six consecutive times, embarking on one of the fastest monetary policy tightening cycles in its history.

Its key rate currently stands at 3.75 per cent and is expected to rise again next month.

The aggressive rate hikes are expected to slow the Canadian economy significantly. And though many economists are cautiously optimistic that the slowdown won't be severe or long-lasting, labour groups in particular have been concerned about the consequences of a potential recession.

Is the Bank of Canada overshooting with its rate hikes? "It's impossible to say," Poloz said in an interview.

Economists estimate interest rate hikes take one to two years to take full effect in the economy. That lag makes it difficult to judge whether rate hikes are too much or too little, the former governor said.

Poloz said trying to slow inflation with interest rate hikes is like trying to stop a car with bad brakes.

"It takes a long time to actually slow down and so you stand on the brake really hard. Well, then you're going to cause an accident too," he said.

Though high inflation has persisted longer than the Bank of Canada's initial projections, Poloz defended the use of the word "transitory" to describe inflation pressures, noting in his speech that international contributors to inflation such as supply chain delays are already dissipating.

"In other words, the part of inflation that is externally driven, really is transitory. It's OK to use the word transitory," he said.

However, the former central bank governor says it takes time for that development to be reflected in the annual inflation rate.

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem notably called inflation "transitory" — meaning temporary — when it first started rising.

Since then, he's backed away from that characterization and has emphasized that the domestic economy is overheated and inflation won't return to target without action from the central bank.

While high inflation has come to the forefront of economic policy discussions, many economists are concerned about what Canada is — or isn't — doing to promote long-term growth.

During his speech, Poloz made the case for government policies that promote stability and clarity for businesses. The less uncertainty there is about trade policy and projects, for example, the more businesses will invest in their operations and improve their productivity, he said.

"Clarity is the obvious antidote to uncertainty."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 24, 2022.

Nojoud Al Mallees, The Canadian Press

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During his long career, Roger Penrose has collaborated with Stephen Hawking to uncover the secrets of the big bang, developed a quantum theory of consciousness with anaesthesiologist Stuart Hameroff and won the Nobel prize in physics for his prediction of regions where the gravitational field would be so intense that space-time itself would break down, the so-called singularity at the heart of a black hole.

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TO LOOT ANGOLA MORE

The daughter of Angola’s former president José Eduardo dos Santos considers running for president

Isabel Dos Santos, daughter in exile of the recently deceased former president of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos, has announced that she does not rule out the possibility of running for the country's presidency.


Archive - Angolan businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, daughter of former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos, is the daughter of Angola's President José Eduardo dos Santos. -

 PEDRO GRANADEIRO / ZUMA PRESS / CONTACTOPHOTO© Provided by News 360

In an interview granted to the German channel Deutsche Welle, Dos Santos emphasized that she wants to "serve" her country and that if she ever had "the possibility" to put Angola "in a better place" and give it "the focus it needs", she would be willing to take that step.

"If someday I have the opportunity to return to my country, a better country, and help my country to have the vision it needs, to build, yes, I will take that step and I believe that many people will be with me because we are another Angola, we have other ambitions and we need another political future," Dos Santos said.

Dos Santos has become one of the main targets of the judicial authorities of the country her father once presided over. However, she considers that it is nothing more than a "commission" from the State for "political reasons".

"I am not the target of several judicial processes in several countries as it is being said. That statement is not correct", said Dos Santos, who accused the government of Joao Lourenco of "manipulating" and "placing in the hands" of the press "information that was not true".

Dos Santos referred to the investigation known as 'Luanda Leaks' as a "gross manipulation" of the State against her. According to this information, the daughter of the former Angolan president, as head of the state-owned Sonagol, obtained lucrative contracts from the oil, diamond and telecommunications industries during the presidency of her father Dos Santos.

The Prosecutor's Office accuses Dos Santos, who became the richest woman in Africa according to 'Forbes', of causing losses to the State amounting to more than 5 billion dollars during the 38 years of her father's government. As a consequence of these investigations, her assets in Angola and Portugal have been frozen.

Dos Santos' statements come a few days after Interpol allegedly issued an arrest warrant for her, according to the Portuguese news agency Lusa, for crimes of embezzlement of public funds, although sources close to the businesswoman denied that they were aware of this warrant.