The Independent: Canada about to become largest country in the world to completely legalise recreational marijuana. Canada is set to become the largest country in the world – and only the second – to fully legalise recreational marijuana, a move that will bring cheers to the millions of Canadians who already use the drug and establish an industry likely to be worth millions of dollars. The shift from illegal to legal followed a decision this summer by the Canadian parliament, with the Senate voting 52-29 in favour of legalisation. The lower chamber, the House of Commons, had voted in favour of the Bill C-45, otherwise known as the Cannabis Act, the day before.
The Guardian: How criminals used Canada’s casinos to launder millions. The briefing took place just a few days after David Eby began his new job as British Columbia’s attorney general – and it began a warning. “Get ready,” Eby remembers being told by casino regulators in the western Canadian province. “I think we are going to blow your mind.” What they showed him was footage of individuals wheeling suitcases stuffed with $20 bills into casinos. Others used hockey bags to haul the cash. Surveillance videos then showed the individuals trading in the cash for casino chips. It was Eby’s first glimpse of what some in the global intelligence community had taken to calling the Vancouver model – a scheme in which some of the province’s casinos were unwittingly used to launder more than C$100m during the past decade. By Ashifa Kassam.
The Guardian: Trudeau on back foot as frustration builds over PM’s climate strategy. When Justin Trudeau swept into power in 2015, he pledged to make fighting climate change a top priority for his government. Three years later, Canada’s prime minister is on the defensive, scrambling to both revive his party’s unravelling climate strategy as a growing number of provinces refuse to participate in national carbon tax – and to temper frustrations over his government’s continued investment in the fossil fuel industry. “From the beginning, [the government] decided they were going to try to thread the needle on the need for climate policy and fossil fuel resource development. They even made the two interdependent,” said Matthew Hoffman, a political science professor at Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs. But on the surface, the strategy appears to be quickly falling apart. By Leyland Cecco.
BBC: Canada politician says crucifix ‘not religious symbol’. The newly-elected premier of Quebec in Canada has raised eyebrows by saying a crucifix hanging in the provincial legislature is not a religious symbol. François Legault’s remarks come despite his government plan to ban civil servants from wearing items of clothing such as hijabs and the Jewish skullcap. The policy has been widely criticised as it targets minority groups. A 2008 report said the crucifix which has been hanging in the legislature since 1936 should be removed.
Rambler, Russia: Canada to impose new quotas and duties on steel imports. Canada does not have much hope that the US will soon cancel the tariffs on steel and aluminum, and is going to introduce new quotas and duties on the import of seven categories of steel, Reuters reported. The Government of Canada on Thursday stated that it would introduce new quotas and tariffs for the import of seven categories of steel from many countries to prevent the potential growth of imports.
Mir24.tv: Canada is ready to invest in Armenia’s economy. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in Armenia on an official visit, visited the memorial of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, laid flowers to the eternal fire and planted a spruce on the Alley of Remembrance, the TV channel “Mir 24” reports. Trudeau stressed that his country will continue its efforts aimed at international condemnation and recognition of the Armenian Genocide. At the residence of Nikola Pashinyan, the Premieres held a joint press conference. “We have good relations, the Armenian diaspora in Canada is active. We discussed a deepening of economic cooperation in such promising directions as water resources management, infrastructure development programs, natural resources. We are ready to promote investments in the economy of Armenia, where there is a great potential, “Trudeau said. The large Armenian diaspora in Canada consists of more than 60,000 Armenians.
Ukrinform, Ukraine: Canada commits additional $50 mln. to UNRWA. Canada will provide additional assistance of $50 million to Palestine refugees over two years. This was announced by the Minister of International Development of Canada Marie-Claude Bibeau. “The new funds allocated by Canada will help to improve the lives and dignity of millions of Palestine refugees. This support will allow to send hundreds of thousands of children to schools, train teachers and help more than a hundred hospitals,” Bibo said. Canada will transfer the funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), she said.
