Interoperability (International)

A B.C. resident who claims to have been “ranting on the internet like everyone else” has been charged with threatening CNN news anchor Erin Burnett and her family on Twitter and YouTube. Nicholas Ryan Hedgecoe Sullivan was charged after an investigation by RCMP, the FBI and New York police. An RCMP spokesman said November 16 that “some people may think that when they are on social media platforms that they're anonymous and if they are involved in this type of behaviour where they're uttering death threats to somebody that there will be no consequences.” [node:read-more:link]

A resident of Lévis, Quebec, faces terrorism charges for allegedly planned a terrorist act to overthrow the Haitian government of Jovenel Moïse, who was assassinated in July 2021. RCMP said today that “concrete actions by Gérald Nicolas included travel to Haiti to coordinate a group planning a coup. Nicolas insists that he was set up by a woman on an online dating service. [node:read-more:link]

A missile that killed two people in eastern Poland November 15 was likely an old Russian surface-to-air S-300 which went astray after it was fired by Ukrainian forces trying to counter a massive Russian barrage. Nevertheless, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said today that Russia “bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.” [node:read-more:link]

After the Polish foreign ministry said November 15 that a “Russian-made” missile had killed two civilians in a mainly rural area bordering on Ukraine, NATO announced that its 30 ambassadors would meet to discuss the perceived threat to the alliance. If verified, it would be the first time in the invasion of Ukraine that a Russian weapon struck at NATO country. The fatal explosion in the village of Przewodów occurred as retreating Russian forces launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine. [node:read-more:link]

An additional $500 million in military aid for Ukraine was confirmed today by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with the addition of 23 Russian members of the justice and security apparatus to Canada’s sanctions list. He made the announcement at the G20 economic summit in Bali, where Russia is represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “This additional military assistance will support Ukrainians as they bravely continue to fight against Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion, while these new sanctions will put added pressure on those who support these acts of war.” [node:read-more:link]

Mikhail Vasiliev, a 33-year-old Russian-Canadian faces extradition to stand trial in the U.S. for alleged involvement in the LockBit ransomware group. In a criminal complaint unsealed in New Jersey, the Justice Department says that Vasiliev, in custody after his November 9 arrest in Ontario, was involved in “one of the most active and destructive ransomware variants in the world” in that it collected millions of dollars from victims. [node:read-more:link]

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that the alliance’s next summit meeting will be held next July 11-12 in Vilnius, Lithuania. “We face the most complex and unpredictable security environment since the Cold War,” he said, expecting the political leadership to focus on boosting the defences of NATO member, especially those on the eastern front. [node:read-more:link]

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is proposing “digital” markers in the hope of protecting websites and systems used for medical and humanitarian purposes against cyberattacks. The “markers” could incorporate information that targetted institutions are protected by the Geneva Conventions. [node:read-more:link]

Amidst growing U.S. pressure to resolve a legal dispute over the NEXUS trusted traveller arrangement with Canada, the countries ambassadors voiced diametrically opposite opinions. Kristen Hillman, Canada's Ambassador in Washington says the U.S. is holding the program “hostage” by demanding legal immunity for officers working at a Canadian-based office. Her opposite number in Ottawa, David Cohen, says “it’s Canada's problem to solve” as the U.S. maintains its position. [node:read-more:link]

The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians,chaired by Ottawa Liberal MP David McGuinty, says Global Affairs Canada “is inconsistent, and in some areas completely absent” when it comes to tracking intelligence activities which could create diplomatic problems. In an unprecedented review of the department, the committee says the Foreign Affairs Minister is at risk of being left in the dark about operations but McGuinty said it's also incumbent on the minister to ask questions and demand to be informed. [node:read-more:link]

Canada is coordinating sanctions with the U.S. against two Haitian politicians, accusing of them of using their positions “to protect and enable the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs” which have paralyzed their country. Global Affairs Canada says President Youri Latortue and his predecessor, Joseph Lambert, support the gangs “through money laundering and other acts of corruption.” The U.S. Treasury Department says they have “have materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs.” [node:read-more:link]

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency reported today that his inspectors had found no evidence so far to support Russia’s claim that Ukraine was collecting radioactive material for a “dirty bomb.” At Ukraine’s invitation, the IAEA team spent several days at three sites named by Russia and eventually left with environmental samples for analysis that they would report on “as soon as possible.” [node:read-more:link]

Cybersecurity officials from Canada and three dozen countries agreed November 1 that they would continue to cooperate on responding to ransomware attacks. Their meeting in Washington also set the stage for an Australia-led International Counter Ransomware Task Force to facilitate information sharing. [node:read-more:link]

The UN Environment Program says the world is neither doing enough, nor even promising to do so to addres climate change attributed to greenhouse gas emissions. “Global and national climate commitments are falling pitifully short,” says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday. “We are headed for a global catastrophe.” [node:read-more:link]

After Canadian and U.S. officials conference called last week to discuss the humanitarian and security crisis in Haiti, the federal govrnmnt immediately sent personnel “to consult with stakeholders on . . . how Canada can contribute to the international response.” [node:read-more:link]