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Jan 27 2024

India co-operation. BC restrictions. Trump’s mind: The Roundup

Jan 27, 2024
David Akin's Roundup
Clippings of #cdnpoli, #media, and #tech content aimed at those with an interest in Canadian politics and policy. And sometimes Canadian postage stamps.
Canada
Canada suspends cash for UN agency serving Palestinians, amid probe into Hamas attack
Canada is joining the United States in suspending funding for a UN agency that supports Palestinians, in response to allegations agency staff played a role in the Hamas attack on Israel last October. [CP]

Canada's foreign minister repeated language previously used by the government that critics have called "incomprehensible" on South Africa's genocide case against Israel. [Global]
Liberal MP Salma Zahid said it is “incumbent on Canada to convince Israel” to follow the ICJ ruling. [National Post]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s outgoing national security advisor Jody Thomas says India is now co-operating after Canada alleged agents of the Indian government may be linked to the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, describing the changing relationship as an 'evolution.' [CTV]
From the provinces
B.C. restricts cellphones at schools, targets social media firms with new legislation
British Columbia is restricting the use of cellphones in schools and targeting social media companies in an attempt to reduce the harm they cause to children, which Premier David Eby likened to the damage from tobacco and opiods. [CP]

The federal housing advocate was in St. John's, N.L., this week to join the leader of the Nunatsiavut Inuit in his long-standing fight for an end to the "deplorable" housing conditions in northern Labrador. [CP]

The latest figures on drug fatalities in the province — which overwhelmingly involve opioids — put the number to the end of October of last year at 1,565, which, if that trend holds would be 1,878 deaths for 2023, or 13 per cent more than the current record year of 2021. [Calgary Herald]

The United States Trade Representative is worried new language regulations could affect U.S. businesses operating in Quebec. [Montreal Gazette]

P.E.I. Premier Dennis King defended himself and his government in an interview Thursday, a day after the former CEO of Health P.E.I. said King's office interfered in his work with the province's health agency. [CBC]
Elsewhere
Taiwan’s defence ministry said it detected 23 Chinese air force planes operating around Taiwan and carrying out “joint combat readiness patrols” with Chinese warships on Friday, ahead of high-level China-U.S. talks in Thailand. [Global]

A pause in talks could mean tougher trading terms for the UK - but what will the impact be on consumers? [BBC]
Most of the award involved $65 million in punitive damages after jurors concluded that Trump acted spitefully and wantonly toward Carroll after she accused him of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s. Jurors also awarded a combined $18.3 million in compensatory damages.  [WaPo]

"If this were your Uncle Joe, you'd be running – not walking – to the neurologist," says Baltimore psychologist John Gartner, a former professor at Johns Hopkins University and founder of "Duty to Warn," a movement by medical professionals to draw attention to Trump's cognitive health that dates back to Trump's first year in office. "If you walked into an emergency room in a psychotic state, the first question would be, 'Who is the president of the United States?' That's literally on the psychiatric medical exam," Gartner says, referring to Trump's confusing Biden with Obama. [US News and World Report]
Media

Google is revamping its official SEO Starter Guide, streamlining advice for modern website owners, and simplifying complex topics. [Search Engine Journal]

Germany has uncovered a major “pro-Russian disinformation campaign” using thousands of fake accounts on X to try and stir anger at Berlin’s support for Ukraine, Der Spiegel reported. [Euractiv]
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Sci/Tech
AI is increasingly being used to deal with climate change, but it has its own emissions problem
Artificial intelligence is assisting in climate adaptation and mitigation, but it has its own emissions problem. And it is one that will only grow as AI is used for more and more applications. But there are ways to reduce those emissions. [CBC]

Microsoft's Teams app services were down for thousands of users on Friday, according to the outage tracking website Downdetector.com. [Global]
Issued this day ...
...  in 1970: Sc 505: Northwest Territories Centennial. Design: Norman E. Hallendy and Sharon Van Raalte. Based on a stonecut print by Kenojuak Ashevak. 

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