National

Trudeau to speak with France's Macron

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 05 Nov, 2020 06:33 PM

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is speaking with French President Emmanuel Macron today after criticism in both Canada and France that he has not done enough to defend free expression in response to extremist violence there.

The conversation comes one week after three people were killed in a deadly knife assault in the Mediterranean city of Nice.

The incident marked the third gruesome attack in five weeks that French authorities have attributed to Muslim extremists, amid a growing furor over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that were republished by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

Trudeau waited more than a week after the Oct. 16 beheading of a French school teacher before expressing solidarity with France, and hedged his condemnation of last week's knife attack by stressing that free speech has its limits.

That drew backlash from media in France and in Quebec, where politicians' unequivocal denunciations prompted a thank-you call Tuesday from Macron to Premier François Legault.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet says today's conversation between Trudeau and Macron kicks off a necessary healing process, but fears it may come off as insincere.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Blair pledges to address prison isolation concerns

Prisoners transferred to the units are supposed to be allowed out of their cells for four hours each day, with two of those hours engaged in "meaningful human contact."

Blair pledges to address prison isolation concerns

Andrew Scheer not voting in U.S. election

In the 2016 presidential election, there were approximately 620,000 Americans in Canada who were eligible to cast ballots, though only around 32,000 did.

Andrew Scheer not voting in U.S. election

COVID-19 deaths hit racialized communities hardest: Stats Can

The report's authors say it is more evidence that the pandemic is disproportionately affecting visible minorities, who are more likely to live in overcrowded housing and work in jobs that put them more at risk of exposure to COVID-19.

COVID-19 deaths hit racialized communities hardest: Stats Can

EI commissioners: start review of safety net now

The shortcomings in EI, flagged for years by experts, have been exposed by the pandemic, including that not every worker is covered, nor can everyone who is covered get benefits when they need them.

EI commissioners: start review of safety net now

Steep drop in right whale population raises fears

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that as of January 2019, an estimated 366 North Atlantic right whales remained in the ocean, down from the previous count of 412 in 2018. Oceana Canada campaign director Kim Elmslie said the decline is "a reality check."

Steep drop in right whale population raises fears

Innovation minister defends 'superclusters'

The B.C.-based Digital Technology supercluster invested recently in a machine-learning chest X-ray tool that helps doctors identify lung abnormalities.