News
China Bans Chinese Tourists from Visiting Canada
China has relaxed prohibitions on group excursions to a number of nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom, but not Canada. It signals a deterioration in relations in the aftermath of Canada’s recent charges that Beijing meddled in its domestic politics.
According to Chinese officials, Canada was barred due to accusations of foreign meddling. The travel ban has the potential to have a substantial impact on Canada’s tourism economy.
In the years preceding the Covid epidemic, Chinese tourists were reported to have injected more than C$1 billion (£580 million; $740 million) into the Canadian economy.
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism controls which countries Chinese tour companies can visit, citing the need to protect people travelling overseas. However, it has also been considered as a political weapon for advancing China’s foreign policy goal.
China added 78 countries to its list of permitted group vacation destinations this week, Canada was excluded, but including other important G20 countries such as the United States, Germany, Australia, and South Korea. Currently, 138 countries are on the list.
China’s embassy in Ottawa stated in a statement that it was concerned that “the Canadian side has repeatedly hyped up the so-called ‘Chinese interference.'”
According to the statement, Beijing is concerned with “protecting the safety and legitimate rights of overseas Chinese citizens and wishes they can travel in a safe and friendly environment.”
The two countries’ diplomatic relations deteriorated drastically earlier this year. It occurred amid a succession of leaks to Canadian media of allegations from domestic intelligence services alleging Chinese meddling in recent federal elections.
Canada has also accused Beijing of attempting to intimidate Conservative MP Michael Chong and conducting a disinformation campaign against him on the popular Chinese messaging platform WeChat.
Some of the claims led to the expulsion of Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei from Canada in May. China removed Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, Canada’s diplomat at its Shanghai embassy, in retaliation.
According to Destination Canada, which promotes tourism in the country, China is the largest source of visitor arrivals from the Asia-Pacific area. It is also its second-largest long-distance market behind the United Kingdom.
According to a 2021 research by the Canada China Business Council, over 700,000 Chinese tourists visited Canada in 2018, with each visitor spending an average of C$2,600.
The business organisation said at the time that bilateral tensions rendered the future of Chinese tourism to Canada “uncertain,” citing “comments made by Chinese officials alluded to the contingency of Chinese tourism on positive relations.”
The first group trips from China to Canada were permitted in 2010, which increased air travel and tourism between the two countries.
Bilateral ties took a setback in 2018 when Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was jailed in Canada at the request of the United States. Soon after, two Canadians were apprehended in China, a move considered as “hostage diplomacy” by Canada and its allies.
According to the Canada China Business Council, the number of Chinese visitors visiting Canada decreased in 2019.
Ms. Meng and both men were released in 2021 after reaching an agreement with US authorities. Early this year, China began loosening pandemic travel restrictions for both visitors and locals.
Meanwhile, according to a recent survey conducted by the state-run Global Times, Canada, which was previously a popular travel destination among Chinese people, has now become China’s least favourite country.
The study, conducted by the Global Times Research Centre in collaboration with market research firm DATA100, garnered 2,148 responses from 16 Chinese cities. According to the survey, only 0.4% of respondents prefer Canada.
Singapore, on the other hand, had a positive response from 14% of participants, placing it first on the list alongside China. Germany, France, the United States, Russia, and the Maldives were the next most popular countries.
Singapore was also the country that the most Chinese people indicated they wanted to visit (17.1%), followed by the Maldives and France. According to previous data collected since 2018, the island city-state did not even make the top six till recently.
The survey findings reflect the ongoing conflict between Ottawa and Beijing.
News
Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.
Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”
The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”
Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.
Lawless protestors run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest.
The Prime Minister dances.
This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.
Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved. pic.twitter.com/PVJvR6gtmf
— Don Stewart (@donstewartmp) November 23, 2024
“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”
“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.
On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”
Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.
Pro-Palestinian protests
Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.
Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.
Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.
On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.
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News
Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla
The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.
The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.
The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.
“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”
According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.
Calgary Zoo Questioned
It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.
An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.
Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.
“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.
The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.
“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.
“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.
While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”
Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.
The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.
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News
Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M
Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.
Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.
The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.
According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.
While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.
Lotto Max History
Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.
The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.
Let’s have a look at the rules:
- Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
- Numbers cannot be repeated
- Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
- Each play buys 3 lines
- Each play costs $5
Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)
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