Bell Media has told Crave subscribers who use its “premium ad-free” package that they’ll now have to pay $22 per month — an increase of $2.01.
The change affects only the most expensive subscription tier that gives viewers commercial-free access to a library of on-demand programming, as well as feeds of Crave’s live TV channels.
A representative for Bell Media says users of Crave’s “standard with ads” subscription will continue to pay $14.99. Its “basic with ads” plan will stay at $9.99 a month.
The price hike means Crave’s highest tier of service now ranks as more expensive than Netflix’s top level, which costs $20.99 per month.
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All of the major streaming TV platforms have recently raised prices as they seek ways to squeeze more revenue out of their subscribers.
Free ad-supported streaming services launch in Canada
Some have implemented crackdowns on password sharing between households, in a bid to increase subscribers. Most have introduced ad-supported packages for viewers willing to sit through commercial breaks in exchange for paying a bit less.
Last year, Crave followed the lead of Netflix and Disney Plus, who both launched “opt-in” ad tiers that required subscribers to choose to downgrade.
Amazon’s Prime Video will take a different approach next month in Canada when it adds commercials to programming for all customers, with an “opt-out” option for viewers who want to escape the ads.
Some industry analysts predict an influx of discounted streaming bundles in the United States will lead to a similar trend in Canada over the coming year as companies try to retain customers who feel they’re paying too much for too many services.
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On Thursday, telecommunications company Telus introduced Stream Plus, a two-level package its customers can sign up for that combines Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video at a discounted rate.
Western warplanes and guided missiles roared through the skies over Yemen in the early hours of Friday in a dramatic response to the worsening crisis engulfing the region, where the U.S. and its allies are facing a direct confrontation with Iranian-backed militants.
The strikes against Houthi fighters are a response to weeks of fighting in the Red Sea, where the group has attempted to attack or hijack dozens of civilian cargo ships and tankers in what it calls retribution for Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. Washington launched the massive aerial bombardment of the group’s military stores and drone launch sites in partnership with British forces, and with the support of a growing coalition that includes Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, South Korea and Bahrain.
Tensions between Tehran and the West have boiled over in the weeks since its ally, Hamas, launched its October 7 attack on Israel, while Hezbollah, the military group that controls much of southern Lebanon, has stepped up rocket launches across the border. Along with Hamas and Hezbollah, the Houthis form part of the Iranian-led ‘Axis of Resistance’ opposed to both the U.S. and Israel.
Now, the prospect of a full-blown conflict in one of the most politically fragile and strategically important parts of the world is spooking security analysts and energy markets alike.
Escalation fears
Houthi leaders responded to the strikes, which saw American and British forces hit more than 60 targets in 16 locations, with characteristic bravado. They warned the U.S. and U.K. will “have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences” for what they called a “blatant aggression.”
“We will confront America, kneel it down, and burn its battleships and all its bases and everyone who cooperates with it, no matter what the cost,” threatened Abdulsalam Jahaf, a member of the group’s security council.
However, following the overnight operation, Camille Lons, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said there may now be “a period of calm because it may take Iran some time to replenish the Houthis stocks” before they are able to resume high-intensity attacks on Red Sea shipping. But, she cautioned, their motivation to continue to target shipping will likely be unaltered.
The Western strikes are “unlikely to immediately halt Houthi aggression,” agreed Jonathan Panikoff, a former U.S. national intelligence officer for the Near East. “That will almost certainly mean having to continue to respond to Houthi strikes, and potentially with increasing aggression.”
“The Houthis view themselves as having little to lose, emboldened militarily by Iranian provisions of support and confident the U.S. will not entertain a ground war,” he said.
Iran also upped the ante earlier this week by boarding and commandeering a Greek-operated oil tanker that was loaded with Iraqi crude destined for Turkey, intercepting it as it transited the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel, the St. Nikolas, was previously apprehended for violating sanctions on Iranian oil and its cargo was confiscated and sold off by the U.S. Treasury Department. Its Greek captain and crew of 18 Filipino nationals are now in Iranian custody, with the incident marking a sharp escalation in the threats facing maritime traffic.
Israeli connection
Washington and London are striving to distinguish their bid to deter the Houthis in the Red Sea from the war in Gaza, fearful that merging the two will hand Tehran a propaganda advantage in the Middle East. The Houthis and Iran are keen to accomplish the reverse.
The Houthi leadership claims its attacks on maritime traffic are aimed at pressuring Israel to halt its bombing of the Gaza Strip and it insists it is only targeting commercial vessels linked to Israel or destined to dock at the Israeli port of Eilat, a point contested by Western powers.
“The Houthis claim that their attacks on military and civilian vessels are somehow tied to the ongoing conflict in Gaza — that is completely baseless and illegitimate. The Houthis also claim to be targeting specifically Israeli-owned ships or ships bound for Israel. That is simply not true, they are firing indiscriminately on vessels with global ties,” a senior U.S. official briefing reporters in Washington said Friday.
Wider Near East crisis
The Red Sea isn’t the only hotspot where American and European forces and their allies are facing off against Iran and its partners.
In November, U.S. F-15 fighter jets hit a weapons storage facility in eastern Syria that the Pentagon says was used by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Shia militants it supports in the war-torn country. The response came after dozens of American troops were reportedly injured in attacks in Iraq and Syria linked back to Tehran.
Israel’s war with Hamas has also risked spreading, after a blast killed one of the militant group’s commanders in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, earlier in January. Hezbollah vowed a swift response and tensions have soared along the border between the two countries, with Israeli civilians evacuated from their homes in towns and villages close to the frontier.
All of that contributes to an increasingly volatile environment that has neighboring countries worried, said Christian Koch, director at the Saudi Arabia-based Gulf Research Center.
“There’s a lot at stake at the moment and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and others are extremely worried about further escalation and then being subject to retaliation,” he said. “Now, the danger of regional escalation has been heightened further, which could mean that Iran will get further involved in the conflict, and this is a dangerous spiral downwards.”
While long-planned efforts to normalize ties between the Saudis and Israel collapsed in the wake of the October 7 attack and the subsequent military response, Riyadh has pushed forward with a policy of de-escalation with the Houthis after a decade of violent conflict, and sought an almost unprecedented rapprochement with Iran.
“Saudi Arabia has had one objective, which is to prevent this from escalating into a wider regional war,” said Tobias Borck, an expert on Middle East security at the Royal United Services Institute. “It has attempted over the last few years to bring its intervention in the war in Yemen to a close, including through negotiations with the Houthis and actually from all we know from the outside, [they] are reasonably close to an agreement.”
The Western coalition is therefore a source of anxiety, rather than relief, for Gulf States.
“Saudi Arabia and UAE are staying out of this coalition because mainly they don’t want to have the Houthis attack them as they had been for years and years with cruise missiles,” said retired U.S. General Mark Kimmitt, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. However, American or European boots on the ground are unlikely to be necessary, he added, because “our capabilities these days to find, fix and attack even mobile missile launchers is pretty well refined.”
Far-reaching consequences
At the intersection of Europe and Asia, the Red Sea is a vital thoroughfare for energy and international trade. Maritime traffic through the region has already dropped by 20 percent, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Slaars, the joint commander of French forces in the region, told reporters on Thursday.
According to data published this week by the German IfW Kiel institute, global trade fell by 1.3 percent from November to December, with the Houthi attacks likely to have been a contributing factor.
The volume of containers in the Red Sea also plummeted and is currently almost 70 percent below usual, the institute said. In December, that caused freight costs and transportation time to rise and imports and exports from the EU to be “significantly lower” than in November.
In one indication of the impact on industrial supply chains, U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla said Friday it would shut its factory in Germany for two weeks.
Around 12 percent of the world’s oil and 8 percent of its gas normally flow through the waterway, as well as hundreds of cargo ships. Oil prices climbed more than 2.5 percent following the strikes, fueling market concerns of the impact a wider conflict could have on oil supplies from the region, especially those being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, linking the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean and the world’s most important oil chokepoint.
The Houthi attacks on the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest waterways, have already caused major shipping companies, including oil giant BP, to halt shipments through the Red Sea, opting for a lengthy detour around the Cape of Good Hope instead.
According to Borck, the impact on energy prices has been limited so far but will depend on what happens next.
“We need to look for two actors’ actions here. One is the Houthis, how they respond, and the other one is, of course, looking at how Iran responds,” he said. While Tehran has the “nuclear option” of closing the Strait of Hormuz altogether, it’s unlikely to do so at this stage.
“I don’t think the Strait of Hormuz is next. I think there would be quite a few steps on the escalation ladder first,” he added.
But Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert at Brussels’ Bruegel think tank, warned that a growing confrontation with Iran could lead to tougher enforcement of sanctions on its oil exports. The West has turned a blind eye to Tehran’s increasing sales to China in the wake of the war in Ukraine, which has relieved some pressure on global energy markets.
A crackdown, he believes, “could see global oil prices rising substantially, pushing inflation higher and further complicating the efforts of central banks to bring it under control.”
However, Saudi Arabia and the UAE could help compensate for such a move by ramping up their own production — provided they’re willing to risk the ire of Iran.
Gabriel Gavin reported from Yerevan, Armenia. Antonia Zimmermann from Brussels and Jamie Dettmer from Tel-Aviv.
Laura Kayali contributed reporting from Paris.
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Gabriel Gavin, Antonia Zimmermann and Jamie Dettmer
Amidst the growing cannabis reform across the West, there have been growing conversations surrounding cannabis-induced psychosis, suggesting that regular cannabis use and highly concentrated products may exacerbate mental health symptoms as access increases.
However, a recent study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy took a closer look at shifting cannabis policy following Canada’s cannabis legalization in October 2018, ultimately finding no association with legalization and increasing rates of cannabis-related psychosis.
The research suggests that, at least so far, changing cannabis legislation is not related to increasing cases of psychotic disorders, though researchers also cautioned that “a longer post-legalization observation period … is needed to fully understand the population-level impacts of non-medical cannabis legalization.”
No Association Between Psychotic Disorders and Cannabis Reform
The research highlights the concern that has made waves in recent years, with cannabis as a “risk factor in the onset and persistence of psychotic disorders” and the notion that recreational cannabis legalization could elevate these risks.
A team of Canadian researchers examined regional changes in health services use and incidences of psychotic disorders over the months immediately following cannabis legalization through a cross-sectional interrupted time-series analysis from January 2014 to March 2020.
Researchers examined psychosis-related outpatient visits, emergency department visits, hospitalizations and inpatient length of stay along with incident cases of psychotic disorders among people aged 14 to 60 years.
Ultimately, researchers did not find evidence of increase in health service use or incident cases of psychotic disorders over the short-term period, 17 months, following cannabis legalization. However, they noted “clear increasing trends in health service use and incident cases of substance-induced psychotic disorders” throughout the 2014-2020 observation window as a whole.
“Our findings suggest that the initial period of tight market restriction following legalization of non-medical cannabis was not associated with an increase in health service use or frequency of psychotic disorders,” authors concluded, stressing the need for a longer, post-legalization observation period to fully understand the population-level impacts of legalization and reform.
“Thus, it would be premature to conclude that the legalization of non-medical cannabis did not lead to increases in health service use and incident cases of psychotic disorder,” they state.
Further Proof That Legalization Does Not Increase Psychosis Instances
The study adds to a growing body of research similarly affirming that cannabis reform is not associated with significant changes surrounding cannabis-induced psychosis.
Another 2022 study looking at Canada’s cannabis legalization framework in relation to cannabis-induced psychosis and schizophrenia emergency department presentations also found that reform was not associated with these cases. Researchers still noted that there is a need for further research on the topic.
Looking at the United States and recent reform trends, recent research has also suggested that states with legal cannabis programs do not have elevated rates of psychosis. A 2023 study looked at the relationship between adult-use cannabis legalization and psychosocial functioning among a cohort of 240 pairs of identical twins, with one residing in a state where adult-use cannabis was permitted and the other where it was criminally prohibited.
While researchers noted a slight uptick in the frequency subjects reported cannabis use, they found that legalization was not positively correlated with increased psychotic or substance abuse disorder instances, along with other adverse outcomes. The research also found that those in legal cannabis states were less likely to engage with problematic alcohol use behaviors.
Additionally, 2022 data examining a cohort of 233,000 European cannabis consumers found that cannabis consumption rarely triggers episodes of acute psychosis among those without a pre-existing psychiatric disorder. Authors reported that less than one-half of 1% of subjects reported ever having “cannabis-associated psychotic symptoms,” with those at higher risk being younger subjects and those with a prior diagnosis of bipolar, anxiety, or depressive disorder, or psychosis.
Cannabis and Psychosis Messaging: Modern Resurgence of ‘Reefer Madness?’
While further research on the topic is still needed, many cannabis professionals, experts and advocates have deemed the new trend of associating legal cannabis with newly onset psychosis symptoms as a modern-day form of “reefer madness.”
Many have drawn comparisons of these modern-day conversations, associating legal cannabis with psychosis symptoms and mental health concerns, as mirroring the conversations had in the 1900s, when cannabis use became more prominent and broader messaging suggested that cannabis use and access innately carries greater mental health risks across populations.
While research has found a correlation between schizophrenia and heavy cannabis use, and psychiatrists have also long known that substance abuse disorders carry psychiatric comorbidities, there is limited evidence showing how this relationship translates to the general population. There is also limited information surrounding how much substance use disorders are driven by such comorbidities.
Studies have shown that heavy alcohol use can be shown to cause organic psychosis and dementia, though these potential risks typically don’t promote the idea of avoiding alcohol use entirely, especially among those who don’t already have associated risk factors.
Paul Armentano, deputy director of pro-cannabis advocacy organization NORML, wrote about this topic last year, noting that those with certain psychiatric disorders or predispositions may carry additional risks of increased mental health symptoms when it comes to cannabis consumption, “but sensationalizing the potential risks of cannabis will do little to protect them.”
“Calling for the re-criminalization of cannabis in state-legal markets won’t either,” Armentano writes. “Rather, the establishment of a regulated market designed to keep cannabis products away from young people, and that provides clear warnings to those specific populations who may be more vulnerable to its effects — coupled with a policy of consumer education — is the best way to protect public health and mitigate consumers’ risks.”
Maria Kartasheva, a Russian migrant in Canada may be denied citizenship and potentially be deported because she was convicted of a “crime” back in Russia. What was her heinous offense? She wrote blog posts condemning Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and war crimes committed by Russian troops there:
Federal officials are blocking a pro-democracy activist from Canadian citizenship because a Russian court convicted her for blog posts opposing Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Maria Kartasheva is appealing the decision by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and says she fears being deported to a Russian prison.
Kartasheva left Russia in 2019 because of rising authoritarianism, and is now a tech worker in Ottawa who co-founded a grassroots activist group for democracy in Russia….
Kartasheva, 30, learned via her family that in late 2022 she was charged by Russian authorities with a wartime offence of disseminating “deliberately false information” about Russia forces. The charges related to two blog posts she wrote while living in Canada.
Kartasheva notified Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada about the charges and uploaded translated court documents last May. Days later the department gave her an invitation to her citizenship ceremony.
On June 7, 2023, she logged into the ceremony alongside her husband. In the pre-interview that takes place before someone is allowed into the ceremony room, they were asked if anyone had been criminally charged, as part of a list of standard questions.
When she explained what had happened, an official pulled her out of the ceremony, though her husband went ahead and was given his citizenship…..
Last month, the department sent her a letter, saying that her conviction in Russia aligns with a Criminal Code offence in Canada relating to false information.
Kartasheva’s blog posts condemning the invasion of Ukraine and atrocities committed by Russian forces ran afoul of new draconian Russian laws criminalizing dissent on the war. A Russian court convicted her in absentia, and sentenced her to an eight-year prison sentence. Ironically, the judge who sentenced Kartasheva is under sanctions by Canada, for her role in perpetrating human rights violations. Yet Canadian immigration authorities are relying on her decision in this case as a reason to deny citizenship.
There is much stupidity and downright evil in US immigration law and policy. But if Canadian authorities don’t reverse this decision, it would be up there with some of the worst of ours.
If anything, Kartasheva’s conviction for speaking out against the war should help her cause, not hurt it. Like the US, Canada has a law granting refugee or asylum status to people who have a “well-founded fear of persecution” for their political views. If anyone has such a “well-founded fear,” it’s a person who faces a lengthy prison sentence for speaking out against her government’s war of aggression and atrocities.
Last year, Canada granted refugee status to a young Russian fleeing conscription into Putin’s war. Kartasheva’s case is at least equally worthy. And the idea that her conviction is a crime meriting denial of citizenship in a liberal democratic society is absurd.
Since the start of the conflict, I have been making the case that Western nations should open their doors to Russians fleeing Putin’s regime, on both moral and strategic grounds. For some of my writings on this topic, see here, here, here, and here. But even those unwilling to go as far in this direction as I advocate should at least be open to accepting Russians who face persecution and imprisonment for speaking out against the war.
Nearly 17,000 people may have died after taking hydroxycholoroquine during the first wave of COVID, according to a study by French researchers.
The anti-malaria drug was prescribed to some patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, “despite the absence of evidence documenting its clinical benefits,” the researchers point out in their paper, published in the February issue of Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
Now, researchers have estimated that some 16,990 people in six countries — France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the U.S. — may have died as a result.
That figure stems from a study published in the Nature scientific journal in 2021 which reported an 11 percent increase in the mortality rate, linked to its prescription against COVID-19, because of the potential adverse effects like heart rhythm disorders, and its use instead of other effective treatments.
Researchers from universities in Lyon, France, and Québec, Canada, used that figure to analyze hospitalization data for COVID in each of the six countries, exposure to hydroxychloroquine and the increase in the relative risk of death linked to the drug.
In fact, they say the figure may be far higher given the study only concerns six countries from March to July 2020, when the drug was prescribed much more widely.
Hydroxychloroquine gained prominence partly due to French virologist Didier Raoult who had headed the Méditerranée Infection Foundation hospital, but was later removed amid growing controversy.
It was also considered something of a “miracle cure” by the then-U.S. President Donald Trump, who said: “What do you have to lose? Take it.”
When it comes to travel abroad, popular destinations like London, Paris and Rome always seem to top the wish list for Americans.
But many travelers are looking beyond those mainstay cities for trips in 2024. Interest in major Asian hubs, off-the-beaten-path locales in Europe and other areas has surged, experts said.
“It’s clear that 2024 is shaping up to be the year of globetrotting,” Airbnb wrote last month.
Broadly, overseas travel is hot: Searches for international flights are up 13% year-over-year, even though prices are about 10% higher, according to Steve Hafner, CEO of Kayak, a travel website.
“Americans are looking to go abroad,” Hafner said. “They’ve done the domestic stuff the last couple years.”
Here are the trending destinations for Americans in 2024.
Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea, respectively rank as the No. 1 and 2 trending international hot spots next year among U.S.-based travelers, according to travel app Hopper.
Kayak data shows a similar trend. Its top five hot spots are in Asia: Hong Kong; Shanghai; Taipei City, the capital of Taiwan; Tokyo; and Osaka, Japan, respectively.
For example, searches for Hong Kong and Shanghai are up 355% and 216%, respectively, year-over-year, according to Kayak. (The travel site analyzed search traffic among Americans from March 16 to Sept. 15 this year, for travel planned in 2024, and compared it to the same period last year.)
Kyoto, Japan
Sw Photography | Stone | Getty Images
Japan also ranks highly among non-U.S. travelers: Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo are among the top 24 worldwide destinations next year, according to Airbnb data.
Asian nations were among the slowest to ease border closures related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that they’re open again, tourists are unleashing a pent-up wanderlust, experts said.
“People couldn’t travel there, and now they are making it up,” said Sofia Markovich, a travel advisor and founder of Sofia’s Travel.
China reopened its borders in January 2023, “one of the last places” to do so, Hafner said.
Japan reopened to tourists starting in June 2022. There are other factors driving increased interest to that nation, like a historically strong U.S. dollar relative to the Japanese yen (and other currencies), which gives Americans additional buying power, and more flights from budget airlines, Hafner said.
Search traffic for Japan has more than tripled for trips during the first nine months of 2024 relative to the same period in 2023 — a larger increase than any other nation, Airbnb said.
Americans are looking to go abroad. They’ve done the domestic stuff the last couple years.
Historically, Tokyo has “hands down” been the most popular city for Americans to visit in Asia, said Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper. Now, demand is “even greater” than usual, she said.
Tourists may also pay a hefty premium to fly to Asia next year: “Good deal” prices for airfare to the continent is $1,204 for 2024, on average — 45% more than 2019, a much larger increase relative to other continents, according to Hopper.
Overcrowding in the traditional European hubs is driving an influx of tourists to generally less-frequented areas, experts said.
For example, Stockholm, Sweden; Budapest, Hungary; Helsinki, Finland; and Prague, Czech Republic, respectively rank seventh to 10th on Kayak’s list of trending destinations abroad.
Copenhagen, Denmark, is No. 4 on Hopper’s 2024 hot spot ranking. Prague and Edinburgh, Scotland, are No. 7 and No. 8, respectively.
“People are really discovering the off-the-beaten path places,” Markovich said. “Because your Paris and your Rome and London and Barcelona are just too crowded. And experienced travelers want to get away from that.”
She recommends “a lot” of Scandinavian travel since it’s “so unspoiled by overtourism.”
The Salisbury Crags in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Andrew Merry | Moment | Getty Images
Additionally, Finland became a member of the NATO military alliance in 2023, driving more awareness of the nation among Americans, Kayak’s Hafner said.
Cities like Budapest and Prague have always been popular but not to the extent of some European tourist magnets, Markovich said.
One of those typical magnets — Paris — is poised for an additional burst this year: The City of Light is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Demand for flights to Paris — and for nearby cities — during the Olympics has more than doubled versus this time last year, according to Hopper data.
Lower relative prices for some lesser-known spots in Europe are also likely attracting people, Berg said, especially since average flights to Europe overall are 5% more expensive in 2024 versus 2023, at $717, Hopper data shows.
Although places like Cancun, Mexico, remain popular as warm-weather beach destinations, Americans are increasingly turning to Atlantic tropical vacations over the Caribbean, said Hopper’s Berg.
“This is something new this year that we started seeing emerge” and the trend “will definitely continue” in 2024, she said.
For example, Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, and Funchal, the capital of Portugal’s Madeira archipelago, ranked No. 9 and 10, respectively, on Hopper’s international trend list. Both are located off the West African coast.
People are really discovering the off-the-beaten path places.
Sofia Markovich
travel advisor
Though not on the Atlantic, Málaga, a Mediterranean port city on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain, ranked sixth on Kayak’s list. The Andalusian city gets about 300 days of sunshine a year, on average, and, according to one recent report, is the No. 1 city in the world for expats.
Search interest there is up 60% year-over-year, Kayak data shows. And that’s following a year in which Málaga was already “overrun,” Hafner said.
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.
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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.
Get ready for the Bank Automation Summit U.S. 2024 in Nashville on March 18-19! Discover the latest advancements in AI and automation in banking. Register now.
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.
