B.C. Greens call for regulation of private mental health and addiction treatment facilities


CBC
Tue, April 4, 2023 

The B.C. Green Party wants the province to start working on regulations for private mental health and addiction treatment providers. (CBC - image credit)

The B.C. Green Party is calling on the provincial government to regulate privately-run mental health and addiction treatment facilities to make them more accessible and effective.

Right now, there are more than 40 licensed mental health and addiction treatment centres in B.C., delivered by non-profit organizations, private businesses and health authorities, according to the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use.

The province does not track the number of private beds in B.C., but as of September 2022, there are 3,260 publicly funded substance use beds.

In a statement, Green Party MLA Adam Olsen, who represents Saanich North and the Islands, said both public and private facilities are "failing thousands of British Columbians."

"We have heard terrible stories from families of how the private facilities are the Wild West of care," Olsen said.

"They're without government oversight, without standards of care, and can charge up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for treatment."

Olsen said private treatment can cost families and individuals tens of thousands of dollars and often have hidden or surprise costs associated with treatment.

"Sadly, most of the time, people leave these centres and go straight back to drugs or alcohol. Then weeks later, people are back in these facilities and being charged thousands more."

Meanwhile, he said, publicly-run facilities have long wait times, and those in dire need of immediate care are forced to turn to private care.

During question period on Tuesday, Jennifer Whiteside, the minister of mental health and addictions, addressed Olsen's concerns, blaming the previous government for 'deregulating' recovery.

In a statement to CBC, Whiteside said that in 2019, the NDP government amended the Community Care and Assisted Living Act to improve regulatory oversight at all registered supportive recovery homes resulting in safer care and more consistent quality services.

During question period she said the province has increased the number of officers within health authorities responsible for inspecting and enforcing regulations.

"We know that there is more work to do," Whiteside said.

Whiteside did not indicate any plans to address regulation further, but the ministry of mental health and addictions previously told CBC it is reviewing the impact of fees on access to treatment.

In its 2023 budget, the province earmarked more than $1 billion for mental health support, including 195 new publicly funded treatment and recovery beds throughout B.C.

Most Canadians got more from carbon-price rebates than they spent in 2021: report

The Canadian Press
Tue, April 4, 2023 


OTTAWA — Most of the Canadians who paid the national carbon price in 2021 got far more back than they paid, a newly released annual report on pollution pricing says.

Based on the numbers in the report, the average amount that people paid in the four provinces where the carbon price applied that year was $555. The average rebate was $804.

"Numbers still show that as of now, most Canadians get more back from pollution pricing than what they pay," Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said in an interview.

Every province must have the same price levied on greenhouse gas-emitting fuels, but only Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario used the federal system that year. Yukon and Nunavut also pay the federal carbon price, but those revenues are returned to the territorial governments directly, not as rebates to households. Northwest Territories and the other provinces opted for their own programs.

Those that use the federal system receive a rebate. The system is designed so the carbon price makes it more expensive to use greenhouse-gas emitting fossil fuels, thus incenting people to find ways to use less fuel. The rebates, which are distributed regardless of how much fuel you use, are intended to keep most families from being worse off as a result of the carbon price.

The costs and rebates vary by province, because the amount and types of fuel consumed for driving, home heating and electricity vary. Albertans, for example, get 85 per cent of their power from coal and natural gas, so they pay the carbon price on their electricity bills, while in Manitoba, 99.9 per cent of electricity is renewable and has no carbon price attached to it.

But on the other hand, Manitoba's relatively colder climate, as compared to Ontario, means that its residents consume more natural gas for heat in the winter, adding to their carbon price totals.

The report said that in 2021, the average household costs were below the average rebate in every province. In Alberta, the average carbon price cost was $598, and the average household rebate was $953. In Saskatchewan, the cost averaged $720 and the rebate averaged $969. In Manitoba, those numbers were $462 and $705, respectively, while in Ontario, they were $439 and $592.

The findings were tabled in the House of Commons March 31, the day after a separate analysis by the parliamentary budget officer that agreed direct rebates exceed the costs for most families, but warned they may be left worse off by the end of this decade as the carbon price stunts economic growth. The budget watchdog's analysis included the potential for lower incomes and job losses as a result of the policy.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has campaigned vigorously against carbon pricing for years and plans to scrap it if he is elected prime minister, jumped on that prediction to accuse the government of misleading Canadians about the cost of carbon pricing to their family budgets.

"(Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau's claim that the carbon tax would make people better off (was) proven a lie by his own budget officer’s report today," Poilievre tweeted March 30.

Guilbeault said the PBO report admits that its net cost warning doesn't include a comparison to the economic pain that climate change itself will cause if we don't do more to slow it down through policies like carbon pricing.

He also said the report didn't take into account the economic impact of policies meant to drive climate action, such as new tax credits intended to expand Canada's electric-vehicle supply chain by targeting industries such as battery manufacturing and critical mineral production and processing.

Clean Energy Canada said in a report last month that building the economy to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 will result in 700,000 additional energy-sector jobs by 2050 than Canada has today.

Last November, the PBO issued a separate analysis on the economic impact of climate change, warning that the costs in 2021 due to extreme weather had already reduced the GDP between $20 billion and $25 billion. It expects the GDP to be 0.08 percentage points lower every year as a result of climate change, even if Canada adopts all the polices currently underway to lower emissions and slow global warming.

Canada's price started at $20 per tonne of emissions produced by 21 fuels, in 2019. As of April 1 it hit $65 a tonne and it will rise $15 a tonne each year until it hits $170 in 2030.

Currently it adds about 14.3 cents to a litre of gasoline, and $25 a month to the average household natural gas bill. By 2030, it will add 37 cents to a litre of gas, and almost $65 to an average household gas bill, though that is based on 2021 gas consumption levels.

Guilbeault said the initial investments to buy an electric car or an electric heat pump to replace a gas furnace may seem high, but the costs to operate them are far lower. The carbon price makes them even more attractive over time, he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2023.

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press

NOAA: NJ wind farm may 'adversely affect,' not kill whales

The Canadian Press
Tue, April 4, 2023 


ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey's first offshore wind farm may “adversely affect” whales and other marine mammals, but its construction, operation and eventual dismantling will not seriously harm or kill them, a federal scientific agency said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a report Tuesday evaluating an analysis by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of the Ocean Wind I project to be built off the southern New Jersey coast.

NOAA's final biological opinion examined BOEM's research, and took into account “the best scientific and commercial data available.”

NOAA determined the project by Danish wind power company Orsted “is likely to adversely affect, but is not likely to jeopardize, the continued existence of any species” of endangered whales, sea turtles and other animals. Nor is it likely to “destroy or adversely modify any designated critical habitat.”

The report comes as opposition to offshore wind projects on the U.S. East Coast is growing, fueled by a thus-far unproven narrative that ocean floor preparation work for offshore wind farms is hurting or killing whales. Thirty-one have washed ashore on the East Coast since Dec. 1, according to NOAA.

NOAA and other agencies have said many of the dead whales appear to have been struck by ships or entangled in fishing gear, emphasizing there is no evidence linking offshore wind production and whale deaths.

Yet that has not convinced some people, including some federal and state officials who want a pause or permanent halt to offshore wind projects while the impact of wind farm site preparation can be more closely examined.

U.S. Reps. Jeff Van Drew and Christopher Smith, both New Jersey Republicans, have introduced legislation in Congress to mandate such a pause, and have promised additional investigatory hearings into the offshore wind industry.

Complicating matters is a joint study released last week by NOAA, BOEM and the commercial fishing industry that listed several known adverse impacts of wind farms on marine life, including noise, vibration, electromagnetic fields and heat transfer that could alter the marine environment.

Ocean Wind 1 is the first offshore wind project approved by New Jersey officials. It will consist of 98 turbines about 15 miles (25 kilometers) off the coast of Atlantic City and Ocean City.

The project will generate more than 1,100 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about a half million homes each year. Orsted hopes to have it up and running by the end of 2024.

NOAA noted that the project includes numerous measures to minimize and monitor adverse effects on whales, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, of which there are less than 350 remaining.

“No serious injury or mortality of any (endangered) whale is anticipated as a result of the proposed project,” the report read. “We do not expect any right whales to be exposed to increased sound levels that would result in injury; all effects to right whales will be limited to temporary behavioral disturbance. Additionally, no effects to the features of right whale critical habitat are anticipated.”

Two North Atlantic right whales were among the 30 East Coast fatalities since last December.

NOAA said its Office of Protected Resources plans to issue regulations and a letter of authorization for the project under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.

New Jersey has approved two other offshore wind projects: Orsted's Ocean Wind II, which would power an additional 518,000 homes, and Atlantic Shores, a project by EDF and Shell that would power 637,000 homes.

The state last month authorized another round of wind farm project solicitations.

___

Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC

Wayne Parry, The Associated Press

Alberta Premier Smith says UCP paying for possible defamation lawsuit against CBC

AFTER TRUDEAU,CBC IS A FAVORITE RIGHT WING TARGET

The Canadian Press
Tue, April 4, 2023



EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her United Conservative Party is paying for legal actionshe is consideringagainst the CBC, which the Opposition NDP says raises the question of whether the government rejected pursuing the lawsuit.

Smith, asked by reporters in Calgary on Tuesday who was funding the legal action, replied “the party,” and did not elaborate.

Her office did not immediately respond to followup questions about why the party would fund the legal action that concerns Smith in her role as premier.

Party spokesman Dave Prisco also did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on why the UCP had agreed to pay the bill.

On Sunday, a notice of defamation letter sent from lawyers on behalf of Smith called on the CBC to retract and apologize for a January story. The story stated a member of her staff sent emails to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service challenging how it was handling court cases from COVID-19 protests at the United States-Canada border crossing at Coutts, Alta.

Smith has said a review found no evidence of contact between her office and the prosecution service. The CBC has said it stands by its reporting.

A week ago, the NDP released a phone call recording of Smith discussing with Calgary street pastor Artur Pawlowski his looming criminal trial related to his involvement with the Coutts blockade.

Smith is heard offering to make inquiries on Pawlowski’s behalf, revealing to him internal government arguments over case direction and telling him that the charges against him are rooted in political bias. She also said she was reminding prosecutors "almost weekly" about her concerns about pursuing such cases.

Smith has refused to answer questions from reporters about the call, citing the possible lawsuit against CBC.

Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley said Tuesday that during her time as premier there was insurance to cover legal costs for cabinet ministers in the course of their work.

Notley said it’s possible those tasked with weighing the merits of Smith’s possible lawsuit came out against paying for it, forcing Smith to look elsewhere.

“It’s very possible that the people who run that fund within the Government of Alberta and within the Ministry of Attorney General don't actually think that this is a particularly valid legal strategy for the premier, and (that) it's not a problem that she ran into by virtue of doing her appropriate job as the premier,” said Notley.

“Rather, (Smith) ran offside in a way that is unprecedented and unacceptable, and so the only way that this lawsuit can even be pursued is if she goes to UCP donors and asks them to pay.”

Notley said the other option is that Smith deliberately went outside the government to pursue the case.

“If (Smith) believed that she was truly the victim of defamation as a result of doing her job as premier, that (government insurance) is a fund they could have gone to,” said Notley.

“But when that happens, you're not hiring the lawyers. The public service is hiring the lawyers and the lawyers are giving the advice that the law would suggest they give.

“But because, I would argue, the premier is so offside with the law, she is instead going to a partisan source of funding so that she can use this legal action as a political tactic, not as a genuine legal claim.”

The NDP has called for an independent investigation to determine what happened and whether Smith, as premier, contacted other accused to discuss their cases.

Legal experts have said Smith's call with Pawlowski represents a profound violation of the democratic convention that there must be a firewall to separate politicians from the day-to-day decision-making of cases before the courts.

The notice of defamation letter gives the CBC until April 28 to retract its article and apologize or face potential further legal action, which would be just days before an expected writ drop for a provincial election, scheduled for May 29.

Smith has long been critical of COVID-19 masking, gathering and vaccine mandate rules, questioning whether the measures were needed to fight the pandemic. She had promised to seek pardons for protesters of COVID-19 health restrictions.

After becoming premier, she said she learned she does not have the power to grant pardons.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2023.

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press

Central Park Five member takes out full page ad on Trump 34 years after he called for their execution

Maroosha Muzaffar
Wed, April 5, 2023 

A member of the Central Park Five has responded to Donald Trump’s indictment and arrest by taking out a full-page advertisement, similar to the former president’s call for their execution more than 30 years ago.

The five Black and Latino men, who were teenagers at the time, were wrongfully imprisoned for the 1989 rape of a white woman in New York’s Central Park after being coerced into confessing to the crime they were found to not have committed.

While they are popularly known as the Central Park Five, the members call themselves the “Exonerated Five” as they had served prison time before being exonerated in 2002.

The five men had later receiving a multimillion-dollar settlement from New York City.

“Over 30 years ago, Donald Trump took out full-page ads calling for my execution,” tweeted Yusef Salaam, one of the Exonerated Five members, on Tuesday. “On the day he was arrested and arraigned, here is my ad in response.”

The ad was headlined: “Bring back justice & fairness. Build a brighter future for Harlem.”

“For those asking about my statement on the indictment of Donald Trump – who never said sorry for calling for my execution - here it is: Karma,” Mr Salaam previously tweeted.

In 1989, when Mr Trump was a real-estate developer, he took out full-page advertisements in four New York City newspapers – New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post and New York Newsday – calling for the state to reinstate the death penalty following the Central Park crime.

Mr Salaam’s full-page advertisement had something to say to the former president.

“Here is my message to you, Mr Trump: In response to the multiple federal and state criminal investigations that you are facing, you responded by warning of ‘potential death and destruction,’ and by posting a photograph of yourself with a baseball bat, next to a photo of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg,” it said.

“These actions, just like your actions leading up to the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, are an attack on our safety.”

“Thirty-four years ago, your full-page ad stated, in all caps: CIVIL LIBERTIES END WHEN AN ATTACK ON OUR SAFETY BEGINS,” it further said.

“You were wrong then and you are wrong now. The civil liberties of all Americans are grounded in the US Constitution, and many of us fight every day to uphold those rights, even in the face of those like you who seek to obliterate them.”

Mr Salaam said even though the twice-impeached president called for his execution and those of “other four children”, “I wish you no harm”.

The ad ended with another message for Mr Trump: “And if the charges are proven and you are found guilty, I hope that you endure whatever penalties are imposed with the same strength and dignity that the Exonerated Five showed as we served our punishment for a crime we did not commit.”

On 30 March, a New York grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump over an alleged $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

“He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court,” said his attorneys Susan Cecheles and Joe Tacopina.

The former president pleaded not guilty to all the charges during his appearance at the Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday.

Mr Trump raised a fist in defiance as he arrived at the courthouse amid a heavy security presence from the New York Police Department and the Secret Service.

The ex-president surrendered to the office of Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg upon arrival at the court at 1.24pm. He was arrested and fingerprinted in a room on the 7th floor of the courthouse building.

NB Tenants’ advocacy group calls for Airbnb safety regulations

Local Journalism Initiative
Tue, April 4, 2023

A New Brunswick tenants’ rights organization is calling for municipalities to regulate AirBnbs following a deadly fire in Montreal.

Nichola Taylor, chair of ACORN NB, says AirBnbs should be registered with municipalities and inspected on a regular basis.

“It’s a no-brainer,” she said, “but unfortunately it’s not being done.”

On Monday, officials said seven bodies have now been recovered after a March 16 fire tore through a heritage building in Old Montreal which housed several illegal Airbnb units, as reported by the Montreal Gazette.

Taylor said ACORN wants cities in New Brunswick to impose a licensing structure for Airbnbs in order to register short-term rentals, and conduct regular health and safety inspections, similar to what is expected of restaurants or hotels.

Issues with fire safety could have been avoided, she said.

“More needs to be done to prevent more tragedies from happening.”

According to data from Inside AirBnB, a global data aggregator of the short-term rental giant, there are more than 3,000 Airbnbs across New Brunswick, with 78 per cent of them entire house and apartment rentals.

Of those 3,100, 349 of those are in Saint John, 219 are in Fredericton and 545 are in Moncton.

Erin White, spokesperson for the City of Saint John, said all properties, commercial and residential, have standard permit requirements. All safety and fire regulations are included in the permitting process, she said.

Isabelle LeBlanc, spokesperson for the City of Moncton, said the city doesn't know how many short-rental properties are in Moncton as it relies on data from AirDNA, a data firm which publishes analytics on the short-term rental market.

The data supplied by the company, she said, "fluctuates constantly."

She added the city is exploring the possibility of short-term rental licensing and regulations, and will be looking to work with other municipalities in New Brunswick for a provincial framework.

The City of Charlottetown enacted regulations on short-term rentals on March 28, stating only a “principal residence” can be used as a short-term rental operation.

The regulations say short-term rentals aren’t allowed in apartments, and limits the number of bookings permitted at a time, among other restrictions, according to a press release.

In Halifax, as of Sept. 1, all short-term rentals are required to be registered with the municipality. That includes a host’s primary residence and an income-generating property, according to a fact sheet from the city.

Taylor said municipalities should move quickly to ensure another tragedy doesn’t hit close to home.

“It shouldn’t have been allowed to happen,” she said.

New Brunswick’s three largest municipalities have the power to collect tourism accommodation levies, an additional tax on hotel bills which go toward tourism promotion.

But the three cities currently aren’t collecting that fee from Airbnb operators, the Telegraph-Journal previously reported, though some small towns, like Saint Andrews, keep track of the number of short-term rentals in the popular seaside vacation town in order to enact the levy.

With files from Barbara Simpson and Postmedia

Marlo Glass, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Telegraph-Journal

ANOTHER CAPITALI$T MARKET SUCCESS

What's happening with Canada's baby formula shortage and what parents should do

The Canadian Press
Tue, April 4, 2023 



Canada's baby formula shortage has stabilized and the situation is improving, say officials including Health Canada, pediatricians and industry representatives.

But supply problems continue, leaving many parents and caregivers with questions — including what they should do.

It's been more than a year since a product recall forced formula manufacturing giant Abbott Nutrition to close its Michigan factory in February 2022.

Although it reopened in July 2022, "it has not yet returned to its normal production capacity," says Health Canada's website, which also notes the plant manufactured several products "that accounted for a significant portion" the Canadian market.

"This has increased the demand for infant formulas produced by other manufacturers,” Health Canada says.

Where are we at with infant formula supply?

"We are still seeing issues in the supply chain with regards to baby formula," Michelle Wasylyshen, a spokeswoman for the Retail Council of Canada, said by email.

She said liquid, ready-to-feed formula is most consistently available, but powdered formula remains limited.

Noting that powdered formula is often less expensive, Health Canada says more of it is being imported and sent to stores across the country.

"This can provide additional options and may help alleviate some of the pressures experienced by families in Canada," Health Canada says.

Canada doesn't have any domestic infant formula manufacturers, so it relies completely on imports — largely from the United States.

What about specialty hypoallergenic formulas?

Specialty formulas were an especially concerning part of the shortage last year, said Dr. Janice Heard, a Calgary pediatrician and member of the Canadian Paediatric Society's public education advisory committee.

The special formulas hydrolyze — or break down — cow's milk proteins.

They're needed by infants allergic to cow's milk proteins and premature babies who haven't developed all the enzymes needed to digest them.

There are limited options for specialty formulas, so the shortage has been "very stressful for parents who already were dealing with medically compromised kids," Heard said.

The supply of specialty formula in Canada "has improved," said Wasylyshen.

Health Canada agreed, adding that the shortage of hypoallergenic formulas has "largely subsided and is replaced by a limited, but stable supply."

What is the federal government doing?

Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have been allowing more infant formulas that don't have the required bilingual labelling to be imported into Canada under a special "interim policy." That policy has been extended until the end of the year.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Health Canada have been talking with "multiple manufacturers," including major U.S. manufacturer Abbott, British manufacturer Reckitt and Irish-U.S. manufacturer Perrigo, "to address the short-term issue" and talk about longer-term solutions, the minister's spokesman said in an email to The Canadian Press.

But industry representatives are calling on the federal government to do more.

"At the root of our challenges has been a very unique and very restrictive and very prescriptive regulatory system around infant formula here in Canada," said Michi Furuya Chang, vice-president of public policy and regulatory affairs at Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada.

She said Canadians don't have access to many "safe and effective products" available in other countries.

In general, Canada also takes much longer than the United States to approve the same infant formula, said Chang.

The association wants Health Canada to shorten the time it takes to review and approve infant formula from other countries whose approval processes are "like-minded" to Canada's.

What should parents do if they can't find their baby's formula?

Parents whose babies need specialty formula should talk to their pharmacist before their current supply runs out so they can try to source and order more in, said Heard.

They can also turn to their pediatrician, family doctor or nurse practitioner for help, she said.

For babies on regular formula, parents don't need to be afraid of substituting other brands, Heard said.

"All of these infant formulas are basically equivalent. They are all approved by Health Canada," she said.

If parents have to try a new formula, she recommends transitioning gradually by mixing some of the new kind with the type they normally use so infants get used to the taste.

In the rare case where the baby vomits the formula "the moment it goes down," or gets hives or a rash, parents should talk to a health-care provider to find a different kind, she said.

The best solution is continued breastfeeding but that's not possible for everyone, Heard said.

What parents shouldn't do

Parents might be tempted to dilute formula with more water to make it last longer, but they absolutely should not, Heard said.

"That's just dangerous for their child from a nutritional standpoint and an energy standpoint," she said.

Parents also should not substitute cow's or plant-based milk for formula.

"Infant formulas are made to try to mimic as closely as they can human breast milk," Heard said.

"Cow's milk just isn't the same."

In addition, Wasylyshen from the Retail Council of Canada urged consumers to avoid panic buying "because this will create a shortage in and of itself."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2023.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press

UN Afghan staff told to stay home as Taliban signals UN female ban

Michelle Nichols and Charlotte Greenfield
Tue, April 4, 2023 

The United Nations logo is seen during the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S.


By Michelle Nichols and Charlotte Greenfield

UNITED NATIONS/KABUL (Reuters) -The United Nations told some 3,300 Afghan staff not to come to work in Afghanistan for the next two days after the Taliban authorities signaled on Tuesday that they would enforce a ban on Afghan women working for the world body.

U.N. officials in Afghanistan "received word of an order by the de facto authorities that bans female national staff members of the United Nations from working," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

The U.N. is looking into impacts and will meet with Afghan foreign ministry officials in Kabul on Wednesday to seek further clarity, he said. About 400 Afghan women work for the U.N.

Two U.N. sources told Reuters that concerns over enforcement had prompted the organization to ask all staff - male and female - not to come to work for 48 hours. Friday and Saturday are normally weekend days in Afghanistan, meaning U.N. staff would not return until Sunday at the earliest.

The U.N. mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) earlier on Tuesday expressed concern that female staff in the eastern province of Nangarhar had been stopped from reporting to work.

"There was a much more official communication made in (Nangarhar provincial capital) Jalalabad. We were told through various conduits that this applied to the whole country," Dujarric, adding there was nothing writing.

"Female staff members are essential for the United Nations to deliver life-saving assistance," he said, adding that some 23 million people - more than half Afghanistan's population - need humanitarian aid.

The Taliban administration and the Afghan information ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

FUNDING CUTS?

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the ban enforcement in Nangarhar, posting on Twitter: "If this measure is not reversed, it will inevitably undermine our ability to deliver life-saving aid to the people who need it."

The Taliban administration, which seized power as U.S.-led forces withdrew from Afghanistan after 20 years of war, says it respects women's rights in accordance with its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Since toppling the Western-backed government in Kabul, the Taliban have tightened controls over women's access to public life, including barring women from university and closing most girls' high schools.

In December, Taliban authorities stopped most female humanitarian aid employees from working, which aid workers say has made it more difficult to reach women in need and could lead donors to hold back funding.

The restrictions did not initially apply to the U.N. and some other international organizations. In January, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed flagged concerns that authorities could next restrict Afghan women working at international organizations.

It was not immediately clear whether foreign embassies in Kabul had received similar instructions on female staff.

A ban on Afghan female U.N. workers could pose major challenges to continued U.N. operations in Afghanistan. The founding U.N. Charter states that no restrictions be placed on the eligibility of men and women to work for the U.N.

Aid officials have also flagged the risk that donor countries will reduce funding due to frustration over restrictions on women as other international crises take hold.

The U.N. has made its single-largest country aid appeal ever, asking for $4.6 billion in 2023 to deliver assistance in Afghanistan. So far it is less than 5% funded.

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield and Michelle Nichols; editing by Frank Jack Daniel, Mark Heinrich and Josie Kao)

Ontario NDP urges legal protections for drag performances

The Canadian Press
Tue, April 4, 2023 



TORONTO — Ontario's NDP is urging the government to create community safety zones that would protect drag performers and LGBTQ communities.

Kristyn Wong-Tam is introducing a private member's bill today that would allow the attorney general to temporarily designate addresses – such as where a show is taking place – as community safety zones, and anti-LGBTQ harassment, intimidation and hate speech within 100 metres would be subject to a $25,000 fine.

Wong-Tam was joined at a press conference today by drag artists who say that organized protests at their performances are negatively affecting their livelihoods and have them fearing for their safety.

Scarlett Bobo, who has competed on Canada's Drag Race, says she has been subject to hate crimes and hate speech in recent weeks and just wants to feel safe and valued in her work.

Bobo says drag artists and transgender people "have an inherent right to live freely and authentically," and recent organized protests and hate speech need to be halted and condemned immediately.

Speaking today in question period at the legislature, Government House Leader Paul Calandra says once Wong-Tam has tabled the bill, the house will give it due consideration.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2023.

The Canadian Press

For many Palestinian citizens of Israel, judicial battle leaves them out

Henriette Chacar
Tue, April 4, 2023 

FILE PHOTO: Israelis protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new right-wing coalition and its proposed judicial reforms, in Tel Aviv


By Henriette Chacar

SAKHNIN, Israel (Reuters) - A plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to limit powers of the Supreme Court sparked huge protests across Israel before it was put on hold last week, but the country's Palestinian citizens have largely remained on the sidelines.

The plans to overhaul the judiciary caused one of the biggest domestic crises in Israel's 75-year history, triggering a wave of protest that forced the government to call a temporary halt to allow more discussion.

They have pitted opponents who see the plans as a threat to democratic checks and balances against supporters, who say they would rein in activist judges who have usurped the authority of elected governments.

With parliament now in recess, President Isaac Herzog has been facilitating negotiations on a possible compromise.

Arab citizens of Israel make up a sizeable 21% minority and would be among those most impacted by the planned judicial overhaul, given the sway of the courts on decisions vital to their interests.

Lawmaker Mansour Abbas of the United Arab List, the first Arab-led party to join a ruling coalition, said Arab citizens owe the Supreme Court their representation in parliament. If the government's proposal is ratified, "you will not find a single Arab party in the Knesset", he said in a radio interview.

Still, even as the demonstrations intensified, pulling in the country's main labour union and members of the military, Palestinian citizens largely took a back seat.

Many said they felt that issues they care about, such as ending Israel's occupation of Palestinian areas including East Jerusalem and the West Bank, were largely ignored by the demonstrations, with only a tiny minority of protesters drawing attention to the Palestinian issue.

"Whenever they demonstrate in Tel Aviv, regrettably, not all the demonstrators understand that there is no democracy under a situation of oppressing a minority, a big minority, of confiscating land and demolishing houses," said Aida Touma-Sliman, a Palestinian member of the Jewish-Arab Hadash party in parliament.

ANNUAL COMMEMORATION

Last week, some 2,000 Arab citizens of Israel held their own demonstration in the northern city of Sakhnin, marking the annual commemoration of Land Day, when Israeli forces shot six Arab citizens during protests in 1976 over a government attempt to confiscate large swathes of their land.

Most Arab citizens of Israel are descendants of Palestinians who remained within the newly founded state after the 1948 war. When Israel celebrates its independence, many mourn the dispossession of some 750,000 Palestinians around the war as the "Nakba", or catastrophe.

The Israeli government placed Palestinians who remained under military rule for almost 20 years, restricting their movement and transferring some of their land to state ownership.

Toufiq Ibrahim Kanaaneh, a retired 86-year-old carpenter, said despite being granted citizenship after the state was founded in 1948, he needed a military-issued permit to travel from his town until 1981.

Even when Palestinian citizens rely on the top court to advocate for their rights, many see it as part of a system that seeks to maintain the control of one national group over another, said Adalah attorney Adi Mansour.

That the freeze in legislation came in exchange for an agreement to form a national guard under far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to focus on unrest in Arab areas was especially worrying, and would only compound tensions, Mansour added.

On Saturday, police shot dead a 26-year-old medical student from the Bedouin town Hura in southern Israel for allegedly grabbing a police officer's gun and firing it, an account his family and Arab leaders dispute.

As Jewish Israelis debate the future identity of their state, "eventually, we are the ones who pay the price", said Mansour.

(Reporting by Henriette Chacar; Editing by James Mackenzie and Ed Osmond)