NEWS INTERNATIONAL
25 September 2023
(Al Jazeera)
French President Emmanuel Macron said September 23 that he will withdraw diplomatic staff and 1,500 troops from Niger in “the months and weeks to come” with a full pullout “by the end of the year.” Military leaders who overthrew democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July have been pressing for a withdrawal.
25 September 2023
(CP)
The federal government has topped up assistance for Ukraine with a $650-million deal to supply 50 armoured vehicles over three years. The announcement coincided with a commitment to send personnel to train Ukrainian fighter pilots, an updated trade deal, more funding for Ukrainian mental health programs, and extended Russian sanctions.
25 September 2023
(CTV)
As Canada’s diplomatic row with India continues over Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegation that Indian agents were involved in the killing of a Sikh activist in B.C. last June, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada has confirmed that “shared intelligence […] helped lead Canada to making the statements that the Prime Minister made.”
25 September 2023
(Al Jazeera)
The UN Security Council has been urged by U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken to authorize deployment of a Kenya-led security mission to Haiti. He has also promised “robust financial and logistical assistance” for a campaign to address ongoing gang violence which has paralyzed Haiti for more than two years.
22 September 2023
(BBC)
The Guantanamo Bay trial of one accused in the September 2011 terrorist attacks in the U.S. has been suspended after a military psychiatrist told the court that Ramzi bin al-Shibh is “unable to understand the nature of the proceedings against him or cooperate intelligently.” He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, associated psychotic features and a delusional disorder
21 September 2023
(CBC)
Canada reportedly amassed domestic and foreign intelligence during a months-long investigation of the killing last June of a B.C. Sikh activist branded a “terrorist” by India. Prime Minister Trudeau’s suggestion that India was involved set off a diplomatic row but his National Security & Intelligence Adviser was in India in August and again this month ahead of the PM’s meeting with his Indian counterpart during which Trudeau shared his concerns.
21 September 2023
(CP)
When it was noted by a moderator at a UN Climate Ambition Summit September 20 that Canada remains a major fossil fuel source, Prime Minister Trudeau replied that Canada is on track to address the industry’s methane emissions. Draft regulations due before year’s end would allow Canada to meet or exceed its goal of a 75% reduction from 2012 levels by 2030.
21 September 2023
(Al Jazeera)
The opposition-controlled South Korean parliament has passed an unprecedented but non-binding motion for the country’s president to fire Prime Minister Han Duck-soo for having “consistently demonstrated incompetence, inaction and irresponsibility.”
21 September 2023
(BBC)
Five Bulgarians accused of spying for Russia are scheduled to appear in a London courtroom September 26. Arrested after a police investigation, they are alleged to have worked for Russian security services by, among other things, conducting operations in the UK and Europe.
21 September 2023
(National Post)
Canada is pulling some diplomats out of India as tensions continue to rise over allegations that India’s government may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh activist in B.C. “With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement,” GAC says. Canada has a High Commission in New Delhi and consulates in Bangalore, Chandigarh and Mumbai.