Catalyx, a crypto trading platform based in Canada, suffered a security breach that resulted in the loss of customer funds in its custody.
While the exact value of the loss is not mentioned, the platform has halted crypto and fiat withdrawals amid ongoing investigations.
Catalyx Suspends Trading and Withdrawals
CatalX CTS, the operator of Catalyx, announced the incident in a press release, stating that the breach likely involved an employee.
The company investigating the theft also employed the services of audit and consulting giant Deloitte to “provide certain forensic and investigative services.”
Following the loss, users will, in the meantime, not be able to trade or withdraw their assets from the Catalyx platform, as both features are temporarily suspended.
Although the announcement does not state the extent of the loss, other than noting that it is “a portion of crypto assets held by the company on behalf of clients,” CatalyX said it would provide more updates along with the conclusion of Deloitte’s investigation.
“Due to the Loss, all crypto and fiat currency withdrawals from the Platform and all trading activities on the Platform have been temporarily suspended.”
Meanwhile, the announcement comes days after CatalX agreed to a cease trade order by the Alberta Securities Commission on Dec. 21 against the company and its CEO, Jae Park.
According to the Commission, the company will halt the trading and purchasing of any securities or derivatives effectively immediately for 15 days, which will expire on Jan. 5, 2024, unless the regulator issues an extension.
Value of Stolen Crypto Assets Decline in 2023
Catalyx is only the latest crypto-related platform to suffer a security breach. As previously reported by CryptoPotato, Taiwanese cryptocurrency research and marketing outfit Kronos Research halted trading and withdrawals following a similar incident involving its API keys.
While hacks and thefts continue to plague the crypto space, a recent report by TRM Labs revealed a drastic decline in hack volumes in 2023, with the value of stolen assets at $1.7 billion, compared to almost $4 billion in 2022.
According to the research, part of the reason for the decline is the implementation of robust security measures by cryptocurrency companies.
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Topping kids’ wish lists and driving sales this holiday season is something that you might not expect to see wrapped under the Christmas tree for young people, but for parents of tweens and teens, it will come as no surprise that pricey skincare products are in big demand.
Toronto mother Carolina Rzeznikiewiz has a seven-year-old son and 10-year-old and 13-year-old daughters. Factoring high on the girls’ list are “skincare and cosmetics from Sephora.”
“I’m not talking drugstore stuff. I’m talking expensive fancy cosmetics that they want to get their hands on for some reason,” she said.
Rzeznikiewiz refused to purchase the items for the girls herself, but they have received plenty of the products from friends and family on other special occasions.
Eldest daughter Liv showed a pile of products, including name brands Laneige and Dior, which she said she treasures.
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“They are watching TikTok. They’re consuming that as their main sort of source of media, the same way we used to read Seventeen Magazine. … So they are absolutely fascinated by what they watch, by the make-up tutorials,” Rzeznikiewiz said.
“Kids are going online and they’re seeing what other people are doing and wearing and buying, and they are being influenced by influencers to buy certain products and so kids are starting at a younger age,” said Dr. Cheryl Rosen, head of dermatology at Toronto Western Hospital.
Rosen said there is only one thing kids should be applying to their skin and that is sunscreen.
“It’s exposure to the sun that leads to changes in the skin that lead to wrinkles, … so the main thing that they should be using is a sunscreen as their moisturizer even,” she said.
Rosen said there is no physical harm in wearing makeup or using certain skincare products but there may be damage to a child’s self-esteem.
“It’s harming the way you view yourself compared to the rest of the world. One of the things that worries me the most is the filters on social media where you can change your appearance and change how you look, change the shape of your face. I find that very worrying,” she said.
Parents are being cautioned to choose products that are age-appropriate and gentle for younger skin and to encourage teenagers to start good skincare routines that will carry into adulthood.
“Cleanser, toner and then your basic moisturizer, and that kind of routine will start to show you what things you need,” said Toronto-based professional makeup artist Cherie Snow.
Rather than the expensive items and fancy stores, Snow said parents and kids should visit their local pharmacy.
“The best place to go is the consumer brand, because you have so many options. They’re so affordable and you don’t have to get caught up into all these expensive products,” she said.
Snow did point out that there are brands that are expanding their lines to cater to the new generation of skin-care enthusiasts.
While Rzeznikiewiz will not be buying in, she does talk openly, candidly and often with her girls about today’s beauty standards and what is appropriate for kids their ages.
“We talk about this very filter driven culture where absolutely everything they watch, or at least most of it, has been filtered by A.I. The faces we’re watching on social media are not real faces. And that is a conversation that we have with the girls all the time,” she said.
While at Harvard Law School, Cruz was an editor of the Harvard Law Review and founder of the Harvard Latino Law Review.
First Hispanic US Senator from Texas.
Was a dual citizen of Canada and the United States until he renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2014.
1996-1997 – Clerks for US Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
1997-1999 – Attorney with the Washington, DC-based law firm Cooper, Carvin & Rosenthal.
1999-2000 – Domestic policy adviser during George W. Bush’s first presidential campaign.
2001 – Associate Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice.
2001-2003 – Director of the Office of Policy Planning, with the Federal Trade Commission.
2003-2008 – Solicitor General of Texas. He is the first Hispanic to hold the position. He is also the longest serving solicitor general in Texas’ history.
2004-2009 – Adjunct law professor at the University of Texas School of Law.
2008-2012 – Attorney with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Houston.
May 29, 2012 – Wins enough votes in the Texas GOP senatorial primary to force a runoff.
July 31, 2012 – Defeats Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the runoff election for the Republican Senate nomination, by a vote of 57% to 43%.
November 6, 2012 – Elected US senator from Texas by defeating Democrat Paul Sadler, 56% to 41%.
November 14, 2012 – Named vice chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
January 3, 2013 – Sworn in as the 34th US senator from Texas.
April 27, 2016 – Cruz formally names Carly Fiorina as his vice presidential running mate – a last-ditch move to regain momentum after being mathematically eliminated from winning the GOP presidential nomination outright.
September 23, 2016 –Cruz endorses Donald Trump for the presidency, surprising many after a contentious primary filled with nasty personal attacks and Cruz’s dramatic snub of Trump at the Republican National Convention, where he pointedly refused to endorse the nominee.
November 6, 2018 –Cruz defeats Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke 50.9% to 48.3% in the race for Senate in Texas, holding off the progressive online fundraising sensation.
February 17, 2021 – Cruz travels to Cancun, Mexico, for vacation as a winter disaster in his home state leaves millions without power or water. He later says the trip “was obviously a mistake” and that “in hindsight I wouldn’t have done it.”
September 30, 2021 – The Supreme Court agrees to hear a case concerning Cruz’s 2018 campaign and consider regulations that limit money that committees can raise after the election to reimburse loans made before the election. On May 16, 2022, the Supreme Court rules in favor of Cruz. The court says that a federal cap on candidates using political contributions after an election to recoup personal loans made to their campaign is unconstitutional.
BRUSSELS — Western leaders are grappling with how to handle two era-defining wars in the Middle East and in Ukraine. But there’s another issue, one far closer to home, that’s derailing governments in Europe and America: migration.
In recent days, U.S. President Joe Biden, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak all hit trouble amid intense domestic pressure to tackle immigration; all three emerged weakened as a result. The stakes are high as American, British and European voters head to the polls in 2024.
“There is a temptation to hunt for quick fixes,” said Rashmin Sagoo, director of the international law program at the Chatham House think tank in London. “But irregular migration is a hugely challenging issue. And solving it requires long-term policy thinking beyond national boundaries.”
With election campaigning already under way, long-term plans may be hard to find. Far-right, anti-migrant populists promising sharp answers are gaining support in many Western democracies, leaving mainstream parties to count the costs. Less than a month ago in the Netherlands, pragmatic Dutch centrists lost to an anti-migrant radical.
Who will be next?
Rishi Sunak, United Kingdom
In Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure from members of his own ruling Conservative party who fear voters will punish them over the government’s failure to get a grip on migration.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during a press conference in Dover on June 5, 2023 in Dover, England | Pool photo by Yui Mok/WPA via Getty Images
Seven years ago, voters backed Brexit because euroskeptic campaigners promised to “Take Back Control” of the U.K.’s borders. Instead, the picture is now more chaotic than ever. The U.K. chalked up record net migration figures last month, and the government has failed so far to stop small boats packed with asylum seekers crossing the English Channel.
Sunak is now in the firing line. He made a pledge to “Stop the Boats” central to his premiership. In the process, he ignited a war in his already divided party about just how far Britain should go.
Under Sunak’s deal with Rwanda, the central African nation agreed to resettle asylum seekers who arrived on British shores in small boats. The PM says the policy will deter migrants from making sea crossings to the U.K. in the first place. But the plan was struck down by the Supreme Court in London, and Sunak’s Tories now can’t agree on what to do next.
Having survived what threatened to be a catastrophic rebellion in parliament on Tuesday, the British premier still faces a brutal battle in the legislature over his proposed Rwanda law early next year.
Time is running out for Sunak to find a fix. An election is expected next fall.
Emmanuel Macron, France
The French president suffered an unexpected body blow when the lower house of parliament rejected his flagship immigration bill this week.
French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on June 21, 2023 | Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images
After losing parliamentary elections last year, getting legislation through the National Assembly has been a fraught process for Macron. He has been forced to rely on votes from the right-wing Les Républicains party on more than one occasion.
Macron’s draft law on immigration was meant to please both the conservatives and the center-left with a carefully designed mix of repressive and liberal measures. But in a dramatic upset, the National Assembly, which is split between centrists, the left and the far right, voted against the legislation on day one of debates.
Now Macron is searching for a compromise. The government has tasked a joint committee of senators and MPs with seeking a deal. But it’s likely their text will be harsher than the initial draft, given that the Senate is dominated by the centre right — and this will be a problem for Macron’s left-leaning lawmakers.
If a compromise is not found, Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally will be able to capitalize on Macron’s failure ahead of the European Parliament elections next June.
But even if the French president does manage to muddle through, the episode is likely to mark the end of his “neither left nor right” political offer. It also raises serious doubts about his ability to legislate on controversial topics.
Joe Biden, United States
The immigration crisis is one of the most vexing and longest-running domestic challenges for President Joe Biden. He came into office vowing to reverse the policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump, and build a “fair and humane” system, only to see Congress sit on his plan for comprehensive immigration reform.
U.S. President Joe Biden pauses as he gives a speech in Des Moines, Iowa on July 15, 2019 | Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The White House has seen a deluge of migrants at the nation’s southern border, strained by a decades-old system unable to handle modern migration patterns.
Ahead of next year’s presidential election, Republicans have seized on the issue. GOP state leaders have filed lawsuits against the administration and sent busloads of migrants to Democrat-led cities, while in Washington, Republicans in Congress have tied foreign aid to sweeping changes to border policy, putting the White House in a tight spot as Biden officials now consider a slate of policies they once forcefully rejected.
The political pressure has spilled into the other aisle. States and cities, particularly ones led by Democrats, are pressuring Washington leaders to do more in terms of providing additional federal aid and revamping southern border policies to limit the flow of asylum seekers into the United States.
New York City has had more than 150,000 new arrivals over the past year and a half — forcing cuts to new police recruits, cutting library hours and limiting sanitation duties. Similar problems are playing out in cities like Chicago, which had migrants sleeping in buses or police stations.
The pressure from Democrats is straining their relationship with the White House. New York City Mayor Eric Adams runs the largest city in the nation, but hasn’t spoken with Biden in nearly a year. “We just need help, and we’re not getting that help,” Adams told reporters Tuesday.
Olaf Scholz, Germany
Migration has been at the top of the political agenda in Germany for months, with asylum applications rising to their highest levels since the 2015 refugee crisis triggered by Syria’s civil war.
The latest influx has posed a daunting challenge to national and local governments alike, which have struggled to find housing and other services for the migrants, not to mention the necessary funds.
The inability to limit the number of refugees has put German Chancellor Olaf Scholz under immense pressure | Michele Tantussi/Getty Images
The inability — in a country that ranks among the most coveted destinations for asylum seekers — to limit the number of refugees has put German Chancellor Olaf Scholz under immense pressure. In the hope of stemming the flow, Germany recently reinstated border checks with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, hoping to turn back the refugees before they hit German soil.
Even with border controls, refugee numbers remain high, which has been a boon to the far right. Germany’s anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party has reached record support in national polls.
Since overtaking Scholz’s Social Democrats in June, the AfD has widened its lead further, recording 22 percent in recent polls, second only to the center-right Christian Democrats.
The AfD is expected to sweep three state elections next September in eastern Germany, where support for the party and its reactionary anti-foreigner policies is particularly strong.
The center-right, meanwhile, is hardening its position on migration and turning its back on the open-border policies championed by former Chancellor Angela Merkel. Among the new priorities is a plan to follow the U.K.’s Rwanda model for processing refugees in third countries.
Karl Nehammer, Austria
Like Scholz, the Austrian leader’s approval ratings have taken a nosedive thanks to concerns over migration. Austria has taken steps to tighten controls at its southern and eastern borders.
Though the tactic has led to a drop in arrivals by asylum seekers, it also means Austria has effectively suspended the EU’s borderless travel regime, which has been a boon to the regional economy for decades.
Austria has effectively suspended the EU’s borderless travel regime, which has been a boon to the regional economy for decades | Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images
The far-right Freedom Party has had a commanding lead for more than a year, topping the ruling center-right in polls by 10 points. That puts the party in a position to win national elections scheduled for next fall, which would mark an unprecedented rightward tilt in a country whose politics have been dominated by the center since World War II.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made her name in opposition, campaigning on a radical far-right agenda. Since winning power in last year’s election, she has shifted to more moderate positions on Ukraine and Europe.
Meloni now needs to appease her base on migration, a topic that has dominated Italian debate for years. Instead, however, she has been forced to grant visas to hundreds of thousands of legal migrants to cover labor shortages. Complicating matters, boat landings in Italy are up by about 50 per cent year-on-year despite some headline-grabbling policies and deals to stop arrivals.
While Meloni has ordered the construction of detention centers where migrants will be held pending repatriation, in reality local conditions in African countries and a lack of repatriation agreements present serious impediments.
Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni at a press conference on March 9, 2023 | Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images
Although she won the support of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for her cause, a potential EU naval mission to block departures from Africa would risk breaching international law.
Meloni has tried other options, including a deal with Tunisia to help stop migrant smuggling, but the plan fell apart before it began. A deal with Albania to offshore some migrant detention centers also ran into trouble.
Now Meloni is in a bind. The migration issue has brought her into conflict with France and Germany as she attempts to create a reputation as a moderate conservative.
If she fails to get to grips with the issue, she is likely to lose political ground. Her coalition partner Matteo Salvini is known as a hardliner on migration, and while they’re officially allies for now, they will be rivals again later.
Geert Wilders, the Netherlands
The government of long-serving Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was toppled over migration talks in July, after which he announced his exit from politics. In subsequent elections, in which different parties vied to fill Rutte’s void, far-right firebrand Geert Wilders secured a shock win. On election night he promised to curb the “asylum tsunami.”
Wilders is now seeking to prop up a center-right coalition with three other parties that have urged getting migration under control. One of them is Rutte’s old group, now led by Dilan Yeşilgöz.
Geert Wilders attends a meeting in the Dutch parliament with party leaders to discuss the formation of a coalition government, on November 24, 2023 | Carl Court/Getty Images
A former refugee, Yeşilgöz turned migration into one of the main topics of her campaign. She was criticized after the elections for paving the way for Wilders to win — not only by focusing on migration, but also by opening the door to potentially governing with Wilders.
Now, though, coalition talks are stuck, and it could take months to form a new cabinet. If Wilders, who clearly has a mandate from voters, can stitch a coalition together, the political trajectory of the Netherlands — generally known as a pragmatic nation — will shift significantly to the right. A crackdown on migration is as certain as anything can be.
Leo Varadkar, Ireland
Even in Ireland, an economically open country long used to exporting its own people worldwide, an immigration-friendly and pro-business government has been forced by rising anti-foreigner sentiment to introduce new migration deterrence measures that would have been unthinkable even a year ago.
Ireland’s hardening policies reflect both a chronic housing crisis and the growing reluctance of some property owners to keep providing state-funded emergency shelter in the wake of November riots in Dublin triggered by a North African immigrant’s stabbing of young schoolchildren.
A nation already housing more than 100,000 newcomers, mostly from Ukraine, Ireland has stopped guaranteeing housing to new asylum seekers if they are single men, chiefly from Nigeria, Algeria, Afghanistan, Georgia and Somalia, according to the most recent Department of Integration statistics.
Ireland has stopped guaranteeing housing to new asylum seekers if they are single men, chiefly from Nigeria, Algeria, Afghanistan, Georgia and Somalia | Jorge Guerrero/AFP via Getty Images
Even newly arrived families face an increasing risk of being kept in military-style tents despite winter temperatures.
Ukrainians, who since Russia’s 2022 invasion of their country have received much stronger welfare support than other refugees, will see that welcome mat partially retracted in draft legislation approved this week by the three-party coalition government of Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.
Once enacted by parliament next month, the law will limit new Ukrainian arrivals to three months of state-paid housing, while welfare payments – currently among the most generous in Europe for people fleeing Russia’s war – will be slashed for all those in state-paid housing.
Justin Trudeau, Canada
A pessimistic public mood dragged down by cost-of-living woes has made immigration a multidimensional challenge for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
A housing crunch felt across the country has cooled support for immigration, with people looking for scapegoats for affordability pains. The situation has fueled antipathy for Trudeau and his re-election campaign.
Trudeau has treated immigration as a multipurpose solution for Canada’s aging population and slowing economy. And while today’s record-high population growth reflects well on Canada’s reputation as a desirable place to relocate, political challenges linked to migration have arisen in unpredictable ways for Trudeau’s Liberals.
Political challenges linked to migration have arisen in unpredictable ways for Trudeau’s Liberals | Andrej Ivanov/AFP
Since Trudeau came to power eight years ago, at least 1.3 million people have immigrated to Canada, mostly from India, the Philippines, China and Syria. Handling diaspora politics — and foreign interference — has become more consequential, as seen by Trudeau’s clash with India and Canada’s recent break with Israel.
Canada will double its 40 million population in 25 years if the current growth rate holds, enlarging the political challenges of leading what Trudeau calls the world’s “first postnational state”.
Pedro Sánchez, Spain
Spain’s autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, in Northern Africa, are favored by migrants seeking to enter Europe from the south: Once they make it across the land border, the Continent can easily be accessed by ferry.
Transit via the land border that separates the European territory from Morocco is normally kept in check with security measures like high, razor-topped fences, with border control officers from both countries working together to keep undocumented migrants out.
Spain’s autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, in Northern Africa, are favored by migrants seeking to enter Europe | Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP
But in recent years authorities in Morocco have expressed displeasure with their Spanish counterparts by standing down their officers and allowing hundreds of migrants to pass, overwhelming border stations and forcing Spanish officers to repel the migrants, with scores dying in the process.
The headaches caused by these incidents are believed to be a major factor in Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s decision to change the Spanish government’s position on the disputed Western Sahara territory and express support for Rabat’s plan to formalize its nearly 50-year occupation of the area.
The pivot angered Sánchez’s leftist allies and worsened Spain’s relationship with Algeria, a long-standing champion of Western Saharan independence. But the measures have stopped the flow of migrants — for now.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece
Greece has been at the forefront of Europe’s migration crisis since 2015, when hundreds of thousands of people entered Europe via the Aegean islands. Migration and border security have been key issues in the country’s political debate.
Human rights organizations, as well as the European Parliament and the European Commission, have accused the Greek conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis of illegal “pushbacks” of migrants who have made it to Greek territory — and of deporting migrants without due process. Greece’s government denies those accusations, arguing that independent investigations haven’t found any proof.
Mitsotakis insists that Greece follows a “tough but fair” policy, but the numerous in-depth investigations belie the moderate profile the conservative leader wants to maintain.
In June, a migrant boat sank in what some called “the worst tragedy ever” in the Mediterranean Sea. Hundreds lost their lives, refocusing Europe’s attention on the issue. Official investigations have yet to discover whether failures by Greek authorities contributed to the shipwreck, according to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
In the meantime, Greece is in desperate need of thousands of workers to buttress the country’s understaffed agriculture, tourism and construction sectors. Despite pledges by the migration and agriculture ministers of imminent legislation bringing migrants to tackle the labor shortage, the government was forced to retreat amid pressure from within its own ranks.
Nikos Christodoulides, Cyprus
Cyprus is braced for an increase in migrant arrivals on its shores amid renewed conflict in the Middle East. Earlier in December, Greece sent humanitarian aid to the island to deal with an anticipated increase in flows.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has called for extra EU funding for migration management, and is contending with a surge in violence against migrants in Cyprus. Analysts blame xenophobia, which has become mainstream in Cypriot politics and media, as well as state mismanagement of migration flows. Last year the country recorded the EU’s highest proportion of first-time asylum seekers relative to its population.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has called for extra EU funding for migration management | Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images
Legal and staffing challenges have delayed efforts to create a deputy ministry for migration, deemed an important step in helping Cyprus to deal with the surge in arrivals.
The island’s geography — it’s close to both Lebanon and Turkey — makes it a prime target for migrants wanting to enter EU territory from the Middle East. Its complex history as a divided country also makes it harder to regulate migrant inflows.
Tim Ross, Annabelle Dickson, Clea Caulcutt, Myah Ward, Matthew Karnitschnig, Hannah Roberts, Pieter Haeck, Shawn Pogatchnik, Zi-Ann Lum, Aitor Hernández-Morales and Nektaria Stamouli
Good news, Degrassi fans. It looks like there’s a new documentary in the works that will focus on one of Canada’s most beloved and long-running television franchises.
A three-part docuseries will be produced by WildBrain, the family entertainment producer which owns the Degrassi franchise, and fellow Canadian production company Peacock Alley, WildBrain announced Wednesday.
The as-of-yet unnamed series will feature an in-depth exploration of Degrassi lore, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, as well as conversations with creatives inspired by the show’s 40-year legacy.
Josh Scherba, WildBrain’s president and CEO, stated: “Degrassi continues to be enormously popular, resonating with fans across generations, from adults who grew up watching the show to today’s teens who are discovering it for the first time.”
Degrassi co-creator talks to GNM about her new memoir and visit to Kingston
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In fact, he says, Degrassi’s audience is bigger than ever, and more people worldwide watch Degrassi than ever before.
“Its enduring popularity is driven by its unflinching honesty and authenticity, tackling topics and issues that teenagers everywhere face.”
Degrassi was originally created in 1979 by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood and has always served as a touchstone for serious and topical teen issues that other shows were often too scared to explore.
In the dramatic Degrassi High spinoff, characters at the fictional high school struggled with very real issues like racism, AIDS, teen pregnancy, homophobia and suicide.
By time Degrassi: The Next Generation came along in the early 2000s, the show took even bigger plot risks. That, combined with some up-and-coming actors on the cast, like Nina Dobrev, Shenae Grimes and rapper Drake, propelled the series into international markets and the show ran for another 14 years.
A cast photo of ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’ when Drake (middle, in wheelchair) played Jimmy.
Lisa Rideout, the director behind the Sex with Sue documentary, will direct the Degrassi doc and acknowledges that her first-hand experience with the show in her teens will be an asset to the project.
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“Adolescence is a period of firsts. First time wearing a bra, first time shaving, first dance with a crush, first awkward kiss at a party. Teens fumble their way through these experiences, trying their best to come out on the other side unscathed. Degrassi has brought these awkward, embarrassing, and unspoken truths of youth to the screen for over four decades,” she said in a statement.
“As someone who came of age watching Degrassi, I remember the much-needed reassurance I got from the show as a teen. Degrassi not only helped teens feel less alone, it also didn’t shy away from what we wanted to know about puberty, sex, relationships and so much more.”
New Doc Explores Life and Work of Sex Educator Sue Johanson
HONG KONG (AP) — One of Hong Kong’s best-known pro-democracy activists, who moved to Canada to pursue further studies, said she would not return to the city to meet her bail conditions, becoming the latest politician to flee Hong Kong under Beijing’s crackdown on dissidents.
Agnes Chow, a famous young face in the city’s once-vibrant pro-democracy movement, was arrested in 2020 under a Beijing-imposed national security law that was enacted following 2019 anti-government protests. She was released on bail but also served more than six months in jail for a separate case over her role in the protests.
After Chow was released from prison in 2021 for that case, she had to regularly report to the police. She said in an Instagram post on Sunday night that the pressure caused her “mental illnesses” and influenced her decision not to return to the city.
Many of her peers have been jailed, arrested, forced into self-exile or silenced after the introduction of the security law in 2020.
The suppression of the city’s pro-democracy movement highlights that freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to China in 1997 have been eroded drastically. But Beijing and Hong Kong have hailed the security law for bringing back stability to the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
Chow said the authorities in July offered to return her passport for her to pursue studies in Canada under the condition that she would travel to mainland China with them. She agreed, she said, and her trip in August included a visit to an exhibition on China’s achievements and the headquarters of tech giant Tencent. The authorities later returned her passport to her.
After considering the situation in Hong Kong, her safety and her health, Chow said she “probably won’t return” to the city again.
“I don’t want to be forced to do things that I don’t want to do anymore and be forced to visit mainland China again. If it continues, my body and my mind will collapse even though I am safe,” she wrote.
Chow said in an interview broadcast on TV Tokyo on Monday that she was still weighing her next steps, including the option of seeking asylum in Canada. Asked whether she would take up political activism there, she said she wanted to do something in Hong Kong’s interest.
Hong Kong police on Monday “strongly condemned” Chow’s move, without naming her, saying it was “against and challenging the rule of law.”
“Police urge the woman to immediately turn back before it is too late and not to choose a path of no return. Otherwise, she will bear the stigma of ‘fugitive’ for the rest of her life,” the police said in a statement.
The police did not respond to questions from The Associated Press on Chow’s mainland China trip.
Chow rose to fame with other prominent young activists Joshua Wong and Nathan Law as a student leader for their activism in the 2010s, including pro-democracy protests in 2014.
She co-founded the now-defunct pro-democracy party Demosisto with Wong and Law, but the party was disbanded on June 30, 2020, the same day the security law was enacted.
Wong is now in custody and faces a subversion charge that could result in life imprisonment if convicted. Law fled to Britain and the police in July offered a reward of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,600) for information leading to his arrest.
A recent study indicates that Canadians’ enthusiasm for crypto investment has diminished in comparison to the previous year. Moreover, they are now less inclined to perceive crypto as a significant factor in the current economy or anticipate its future importance.
On November 29, the OSC released its “Crypto Assets Survey 2023,” conducted in collaboration with Ipsos in late May. The survey, which included 2,360 Canadians representing a proportional cross-section of the population in terms of gender, age, and region, reveals a prevailing skepticism toward crypto within the country.
Findings
The ownership of crypto among Canadians has decreased over the past year, declining from 13% in 2022 to 10% in 2023. In terms of demographics, the majority of these crypto owners are likely to be men aged 25-44, have an undergraduate degree or higher, and are engaged in full-time employment.
The percentage of Canadians capable of providing a fundamental definition of crypto increased from 51% in 2022 to 54% in 2023. However, the belief that crypto “will play a key role in the future” has declined to 34%, down from 49% in 2022.
Among those surveyed, 77% of crypto asset owners expressed regret over having purchased crypto assets more than a year ago when the figure stood at 68%.
In both 2023 and 2022, the primary rationale cited for purchasing crypto is its role as a speculative investment or gamble. However, the number of crypto owners who report buying digital assets as a long-term investment has fallen from 29% in 2022 to 20% in 2023
Crypto trading exchanges continue to be the most common way to acquire BTC and alts, with 52% of owners reporting to have used such a platform, a figure unchanged from 2022. A total of 19% acquired their crypto assets through a decentralized exchange, 16% through mining or staking, 14% received them for free, 14% through a token generation event or initial offering, and 14% through friends, family, or colleagues.
Compared to 2022, a higher percentage reported obtaining crypto assets through a decentralized exchange or ATM, while a lower percentage did so through friends, family, or colleagues.
The report noted that the shift towards acquisition through a DEX or ATMs was primarily influenced by individuals aged 18-34, who were more inclined to do so compared to 2022. In 2023, 25% acquired their crypto assets through a DEX, up from 18% in 2022. Additionally, 15% of users acquired crypto assets through ATMs in 2023, compared to 8% in 2022.
Meanwhile, only 15% in this age group obtained their crypto assets through friends, family, or colleagues in 2023, down from 25% in 2022.
Majority of Canadians Are Not Interested in CBDC
This pessimism reflected in the report may be attributed to the specific timing of the research when the crypto market was reeling under significant bearish pressure. However, Canadians do not appear to be very keen on a CBDC as well.
New survey results from the Bank of Canada, which gathered 89,424 responses from a diverse range of Canadians, revealed overwhelming opposition to the central bank’s exploration and issuance of a digital loonie. Concerns over potential privacy violations and a preference for existing payment methods were prominent, with 85% stating they wouldn’t use a digital Canadian dollar.
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TD Bank is investing in technology to drive efficiency, reduce costs, and restructure operations with AI efforts at the forefront.
The Toronto-based bank’s total technology and equipment expenses were CA$620 million ($458 million), up 18% year over year, according to its fiscal fourth-quarter (ending Oct. 31) earnings report.
Photo by Vaidik Trivedi
AI innovation has led to 55 patents for TD Bank since 2018, Chief Executive Bharat Masrani said during the bank’s earnings call on Nov. 30.
The bank filed for a patent on Nov. 7 for a machine learning algorithm that can predict a consumer’s credit score, according to legal information database Justia.
TD Bank sees “that the level of innovation with respect to technology is moving at quite a speed,” Masrani said, noting that the bank will continue to invest in technology to remain competitive.
BIGGER PICTURE: The bank’s innovation efforts in fiscal Q4 included investment in its United States-based anti-money laundering program and the launch of its innovation hub, TD Invest, Masrani said during the call.
TD Bank is in the top 11 banks globally for its AI efforts, according to a Nov. 15 report by AI solutions company Evident. The $3.7 trillion JPMorganChase and $467 billion Capital One led the list.
WHY IT MATTERS: The $368 billion TD Bank initiated a restructuring program in Q4 to drive efficiency and control costs. The program included managing headcount and optimizing its real estate footprint, according to the company’s earnings presentation.
The program resulted in a pre-tax restructuring charge of $268 million, and TD expects similar restructuring charges in the first half of 2024, Masrani said.
At the end of fiscal Q4, headcount was 29,069, up 0.4% YoY, while the number of branches in Canada remained relatively flat at 1,062, according to the bank’s earnings.
BY THE NUMBERS: In Q4, TD reported:
Total revenue of $9.7 billion, down 15.6% YoY;
Total deposits of $814 million, down 2.5% YoY; and
Mobile usership in the U.S. of 4.9 million, up 8.9% YoY.
NOTEWORTHY: The bank is exploring the use of AI for cross-selling products to its customers, Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Banking ChrisGiamo previously told Bank Automation News.
On Nov. 14, TD launched TD Active Trader, a cloud-based trading platform, which allows investors to execute complex option calls and provides detailed charts about the markets, the bank’s release stated.
MARKET REACTION: Shares of TD Bank [NYSE: TD] were down 0.48% from market open to $60.70 at market close today. TD’s has a market capitalization of $110 billion.
Editor’s Note: All figures have been converted to U.S. dollars.
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The popular video game-turned TV show, The Last of Us was a huge success for the Alberta economy.
According to a new report by Oxford Economics, $141 million was spent across the province to ensure the show became a reality, making it the largest series ever filmed in Canada.
“Including $70 million on labour and $70 million at local businesses, so that’s everything from hotels, airlines, lumber, paint, set (decorations), vehicle rentals, you name it, they spent a lot of money in the province,” said Brock Skretting, director of Creative Industries with Economic Development Lethbridge.
Southern Alberta woman who delivers calves secures Last of Us Emmy nomination for hairstyling
The Last of Us has also been nominated for 24 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, and helped employ talented workers like Chris Glimsdale from Claresholm, who was nominated in the Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling category.
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Glimsdale says the biggest challenge during her time working on the show was keeping everyone organized and applying hair to the infected zombies.
“And HBO is very gracious in letting us have what we call ‘the boot camp,’ so the stylists would come in and practice how to lay hair and how to lay the pieces even though they had never done it before.”
Travel Alberta sharing The Last of Us locations online
The show was filmed in several southern Alberta communities, including Waterton Lakes National Park and Fort Macleod, and organizations in both towns say the future is looking bright for the film and television industry.
“When people are passing through town and it’s not through The Last of Us, they’re thinking of Interstellar, Brokeback Mountain, Fargo, you name it, they’re usually going and visiting those places,” said Mackenzie Hengerer, member of the Fort Macleod Heritage Tourism Alliance.
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President of the Waterton Park Chamber of Commerce, Shameer Suleman says: “I think this is a great springboard for us and hopefully we’re able to parlay this into more films and TV.”
Overall, the first season of The Last of Us generated more than $182 million for Alberta’s GDP and helped support 1,490 jobs across the province.
Production for Season 2 will head west to Vancouver starting in January of 2024.
The Last of Us to starts filming in Vancouver in January
In 2023, the number of cryptocurrency owners in Canada decreased slightly, but the average holdings increased significantly.
According to a report from the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), 77% of respondents regret investing in crypto assets.
While the number of Canadians able to provide a basic definition of cryptocurrency has grown from 51% in 2022 to 54% in 2023, only 34% of them now believe cryptocurrency “will play a key role in the future,” compared to 49% in 2022.
However, despite the pessimism, 39% of respondents said their crypto portfolio was profitable compared to the initial investment, which is only slightly lower than in 2022 (46%). And the average value of such a portfolio has risen sharply from $52,975 last year to $82,998 this year.
In addition, public consultations on the Central Bank of Canada’s digital currency (CBDC) initiative revealed a general negative attitude from Canadians.
The Canadian central bank set out to define the place of CBDC in a world dominated by digital paper payments and credit cards. However, Canadian residents have demanded the introduction of rules requiring merchants to accept cash as payment.
The majority of respondents advised the Bank of Canada to stop research and increase the capacity to issue a digital Canadian dollar. However, the public believes that their feedback will not be taken into account under the CBDC initiative.
At the same time, Canada is ranked in the top spot for having seven spot Bitcoin ETFs worth a total of $2b in total assets. Data from the report shows that Canada and Europe are the main markets for spot Bitcoin ETFs, with the seven in Canada and 10 in Europe.
Canadians are overwhelmingly opposed to their central bank researching and issuing a digital loonie, according to newly released survey results from the Bank of Canada.
The report found that citizens and stakeholders are worried that the technology could violate their financial privacy, and wouldn’t be their payment method of choice compared to existing options.
Why Canadians Don’t Like CBDCs
Released on Wednesday, the report dissected results from a public consultation on CBDCs open to all Canadians between May 8 and June 19, 2023. It gathered 89,424 responses from Canadians of all provinces and income levels.
“A vast majority of respondents (85%) say that they would not use a digital Canadian dollar,” the report stated. An even greater majority of 92% said they’d prefer sticking to existing payment methods, like cash or cards.
The preference had little to do with crypto experience: while more likely than the average participant, only 14% of respondents who already hold cryptocurrencies said they’d prefer a digital dollar to alternative schemes.
Besides its perceived redundancy, 19% of respondents claimed that a CBDC would give the government “too much control.” Furthermore, 15% said that privacy would be jeopardized with its launch, while another 15% thought it would create a “loss of individual choice.”
In fact, most respondents expressed concerns that the government was attempting to phase out cash, with 86% calling for legislation to mandate merchants continue accepting cash as payment.
Though prior research from the Bank of Canada has shown cash use declining over time, physical currency remained a “prevailing method of payment” among respondents. Many said they prefer cash for its anonymity, safety, and acceptance.
No Trust in the Central Bank
Only 18% of those surveyed said they trusted the central bank to “follow a strict and transparent process” before accessing identity-related information on digital transactions. Trust in the government of Canada and financial institutions also remained low at 12% and 27% respectively.
Despite respondents’ reservations, 78% of them said they do not believe the Bank of Canada will consider public feedback as it develops a CBDC. That said, the central bank has responded to its consultation with new development goals aimed at addressing critics’ concerns.
“The Bank will examine options for a digital dollar that: would not require Canadians to have identification, a bank account or to disclose private information to anyone to perform basic financial transactions,” wrote the Bank of Canada on Wednesday.
Much like several Republican lawmakers in the United States, Canada’s Conservative Party leader has promised to ban CBDCs if elected as prime minister.
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George Cohon, founder of McDonald’s Canada according to Ronald McDonald House Charities, has died.
Cohon’s son, Mark Cohon, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, Saturday morning, and said: “Last night we said farewell to my Dad. Our family, Canada and the world lost a remarkable man.”
Last night we said farewell to my Dad. Our family, Canada and the world lost a remarkable man. pic.twitter.com/6hbHfRDL5X
Cohon opened his first McDonald’s location in London, Ont. in November 1968.
He was also the founder of Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities across the country.
In 2020, Cohon received the Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest level of the order, for his charitable work around the world, according to a post by Ronald McDonald House.
The British Columbia Lottery Corporation, a Canadian Crown gambling company, has unveiled a new program that allows employees to select their holidays. Under the new program, the BCLC will allow its workers to substitute up to six holidays for other days of the year.
Thanks to the new program, workers will be able to set their holidays for dates that have personal, cultural or religious significance to them. The announcement is in line with British Columbia’s multiculturalism week and demonstrates the BCLC’s desire to promote diversity and inclusion.
In addition to allowing its employees to pick their holidays, the BCLC will continue to implement inclusive policies that make its workers feel appreciated and welcomed. The company is guided by dedicated employee resource groups and is seeking to promote a “safe, equitable and barrier-free environment.”
However, the BCLC noted that there will be one exception to the substitution option, which is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The company said that this holiday aligns with the message it is trying to send, which is why it must be observed by all of its employees.
For reference, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, takes place on September 30 each year and celebrates the legacy of the Canadian Indian residential school system.
Sandy Austin, the BCLC’s chief people officer, commented on the new changes. She pointed out that her company is an employer that recognizes there cannot be a “one size first all” approach when it comes to holidays. Since the gambling company wanted to promote inclusivity, it opted to provide its employees with an extra level of personalization when it comes to their days off.
This is another important step to build inclusive, equitable and safe workplaces and communities and we’re encouraging other employers to reach out to us to learn more.
Sandy Austin, chief people officer, BCLC
Madhavee Inamdar, BCLC’s manager of diversity, inclusion and belonging, also commented on the new program, praising it for acknowledging the individual values and beliefs of the company’s employees.
We are incredibly fortunate to have such a diverse workforce and are honoring that diversity and reaffirming our commitment to fostering an inclusive culture at BCLC where all employees feel that they are seen, valued and belong.
Madhavee Inamdar, manager of diversity, inclusion and belonging, BCLC
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is currently immersed in the first phase of reshaping the Canadian broadcasting landscape through the implementation of Bill C-11, known as the Online Streaming Act. As the two-week public hearing unfolds, diverse voices are emerging, with Indigenous media players hoping the bill will result in more equal opportunities.
Ryan Moccasin, owner of The Feather Entertainment, expressed optimism about the ongoing renaissance in Indigenous storytelling. “Our voices are being lifted by the industry,” he remarked. “We have seen success with shows like ‘Reservation Dogs’ and ‘Little Bird.’ It is an upward trajectory, and I see a lot of people that look forward to the stories we have to share.”
However, Moccasin stressed the need for increased funding and capacity building to support newcomers striving to break into the industry. “I see a lot of people interested in the industry,” he noted. “More funding and more capacity building is what we need to support all of those trying to break into the industry.”
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Kerry Swanson, CEO of the Indigenous Screen Office, emphasized the pressing need to move away from the perpetual struggle for funding. “We shouldn’t be constantly in this precarity proving why we should receive this funding,” Swanson said. “Making the case for our existence should not be our continual battle.”
Mike Omelus, executive director of APTN, voiced support for the commission’s proposal regarding contributions from online undertakings to support the Canadian broadcasting system. “APTN also supports the commission’s proposal that online undertakings make an initial base contribution,” Omelus said. “All undertakings, including foreign ones, should contribute in an appropriate manner to support broadcasting policy objectives.”
While the bill identifies Canadian content through three pillars – English, French, and Indigenous content – some Indigenous creators find this distinction limiting. Moccasin expressed concerns, stating, “They talked about the difference between Indigenous content and Canadian content, well they are the same thing.”
The hearings, hosting a total of 122 speakers, continue until the end of next week. The government’s objective with the Broadcasting Act amendments is to support Canada’s creative industries and make Canadian music and stories widely available and accessible in the digital age.
The CRTC’s phased approach aims to modernize Canada’s broadcasting framework and ensures online streaming services, such as Netflix, Disney+, and Spotify, make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content. The commission emphasizes the importance of public participation in shaping these crucial decisions.
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As the debate unfolds, Indigenous creators like Moccasin remain determined to secure a more inclusive and supportive environment for their stories. The hope is to ensure that Indigenous content receives the recognition and backing it deserves within the broader scope of Canadian content.
The world’s top climate summit has become embroiled in a hypocrisy scandal, days before the start of key talks.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) schemed to use its position as host country of the imminent COP28 United Nations climate talks to discuss oil and gas deals with more than a dozen countries, leaked documents published by the BBC show.
Briefing notes prepared by the UAE’s COP28 team for meetings with foreign governments during the summit, which starts Thursday in Dubai, include talking points from the Emirati state oil and renewable energy companies, according to documents published Monday by the Centre for Climate Reporting.
Germany, for example, is to be told that the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) — whose CEO, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, is COP28’s president — “stand[s] ready to expand LNG supplies to Germany.”
The briefing notes for China say that ADNOC is “willing to jointly evaluate international LNG opportunities (Mozambique, Canada, and Australia).”
They also propose telling oil-rich giants Saudi Arabia and Venezuela that “there is no conflict between sustainable development of any country’s natural resources and its commitment to climate change.”
With COP28 just days away, the leaked documents have cast a shadow over the start of the crucial forum.
Zakia Khattabi, Belgium’s climate minister, told POLITICO: “If confirmed, these news reports add to the existing concerns regarding the COP28 presidency. The credibility of the U.N. climate negotiations is essential and is at stake here.”
The documents also sparked an outcry from climate NGOs.
In a statement, Greenpeace’s Policy Coordinator Kaisa Kosonen said, “if the allegations are true, this is totally unacceptable and a real scandal.”
“The climate summit leader should be focused on advancing climate solutions impartially, not backroom deals that are fuelling the crisis,” Kosonen said.
“The significant representation of EU and European countries in this list is alarming and a direct contradiction to the EU’s position to achieve a phase out of fossil fuels at this year’s COP,” Chiara Martinelli, director of Climate Action Network Europe, said in a written statement to POLITICO.
“Any deal with the UAE’s oil and gas companies is a slap in the face of the U.N. process on climate change,” Martinelli added.
The documents also include estimates of ADNOC’s commercial interests in the targeted countries, as well as an outline of energy infrastructure projects led by Masdar, the UAE’s state renewable energy company.
ADNOC’s business ties with China, for example, are valued at $15 billion over the past year, while those with the United Kingdom are worth $4 billion and the Netherlands’ stand at $2 billion.
Every year, the country hosting COP appoints a president to lead negotiations between countries. The president meets foreign dignitaries and is expected to “rais[e] ambition to tackle climate change internationally,” according to the U.N.
Home to some of the largest oil reserves in the world, the UAE has attracted criticism for appointing al-Jaber as COP president in spite of his role as chief of the country’s national oil company. Al-Jaber is also chairman of the board of directors of the national renewable energy company.
In a statement, a COP28 spokesperson said: “The documents referred to in the BBC article are inaccurate and were not used by COP28 in meetings. It is extremely disappointing to see the BBC use unverified documents in their reporting.”
This article has been updated to clarify Ahmed al-Jaber’s role at the national renewable energy company and to add comments fro, COP28 and Greenpeace.
The FBI‘s conclusion that a car explosion near a bridge linking the United States and Canada was not a terrorist incident has sparked claims on social media of a conspiracy to cover up the true nature of the incident.
Two people were killed after their vehicle exploded on Wednesday afternoon at the Rainbow Bridge, which straddles the two nations’ sides of the Niagara Falls. The incident prompted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to shut down three other crossings between New York and Canada out of an abundance of caution.
The explosion prompted many—including several lawmakers, such as Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Ronny Jackson (R-Texas)—to presume the incident was terror-related.
However, in a statement on Wednesday night, the FBI field office in Buffalo, New York, said it had “concluded our investigation at the scene” which “revealed no explosive materials, and no terrorism nexus was identified.”
View of the Rainbow Bridge border crossing into the U.S. in Niagara Falls, Ontario, after a car exploded at a U.S.-Canada checkpoint on November 22, 2023. The FBI have determined the explosion was not terror-related. PETER POWER/AFP via Getty Images
It added: “The matter has been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation.”
After visiting the scene, New York Governor Kathy Hochul wrote the same evening that there was “no evidence of terrorism indicated at this time.”
While Customs and Border Protection has released CCTV footage from the border crossing clearly showing a car traveling at a high speed veering off the road and flying into the air, many on social media expressed skepticism towards the FBI’s quick conclusion, while referencing the Las Vegas mass shooting in 2017, in which the gunman Stephen Paddock’s motive for killing 60 people has never been definitively determined.
CBP is working closely with @FBI, federal, state & local partners in response to a vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge which remains closed. Out of abundance of caution, CBP temporarily suspended inbound/outbound traffic at 3 other Buffalo crossings that have since reopened. pic.twitter.com/pTXyUsavRB
“Wow! The FBI concludes their investigation after half a day, and yet we still don’t know anything about the Vegas shooter,” one X, formerly Twitter, user wrote.
“Just like that, they’ve concluded their investigation…” another said, while a further user, a self-described “America First culture warrior,” commented: “Look how efficient you are when you want to shut things down.”
“Maybe it’s just me, but I highly doubt they’d tell us what was in the vehicle unless the perps were ‘right wing’,” Chris DellaCroce, purportedly a former U.S. Marine, responded to the statement. “All leftist attackers are protected and their motives are usually hidden. That’s the playbook.”
Newsweek approached the FBI field office in Buffalo via phone on Thursday, and was told it would respond after the holiday.
Meanwhile, another user, Holli Winters, wrote: “Shame on people for calling the FBI liars and believing conspiracy theories. There is a family grieving the death of their loved ones who were in the car.”
A 27-year-old guy with minor wounds and back discomfort was brought to Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital.
It is said that his condition is not serious.
US President Biden has been briefed
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated in a statement that US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the event that happened on the Rainbow Bridge at the US-Canada border.
She also mentioned that Biden and his team “are closely following developments.”
Mayor Adams shares statement
“The NYPD and our partners have already enhanced security, and the city is on heightened alert due to the upcoming holiday, so the public will see increased security at locations across New York City, including entry and egress points into and out of the city,” New York City Major Eric Adams said.
“We have also reached out to, and are in ongoing communication with, partners from across different levels of government to assist with this effort.
“Our number one priority is, and always will be, the safety of New Yorkers.”
NYPD member deployed to Rainbow Bridge
Mayor Eric Adams of New York City said on X on Wednesday that members of the NYPD had been sent to assist with the Rainbow Bridge operation.
It’s unclear how many NYPD officers were sent in and exactly how they would help local authorities.
Adams also reminded everyone that because of the impending holiday, New York City is already on high alert.
Couple witnessed explosion
The car explosion near Niagara Falls’ Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday was seen by a couple traveling from Kitchener, Ontario.
While walking close to the bridge, Mike Guenther and his spouse noticed a fast-moving car approaching the border. It veered, collided with a barrier, and then took off “flying up in the air.”
Guenther said that there was smoke all throughout the place and that the car was on fire.
Pictures from the scene
Below are pictures from the scene where a vehicle exploded on the Rainbow Bridge around a mile away from Niagara Falls.
Law enforcement personnel blocked off the entrance to the Rainbow BridgeCredit: AP
A vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on a bridge near Niagara FallsCredit: Twitter
