Trudeau to Duterte: Canada ‘concerned’ over EJK issue

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has conveyed “concern” on the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, as he raised the issue on human rights violations during his bilateral meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte during the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and Related Meetings held in Manila.



Trudeau revealed this information during a press conference held on Tuesday at the International Media Center in the World Trade Center, Pasay City.

“I emphasized the people-to-people ties between Canada and the Philippines and the great connection there but I also mentioned human rights, the rule of law, specifically the extrajudicial killings being an issue Canada is concerned with,” Trudeau said.

The Canadian prime minister’s comments came the day after US President Donald Trump hailed the “great relationship” he enjoys with Duterte in a meeting the Philippines government said did not touch on human rights.

“I impressed upon him the need for respect for the rule of law.” 

Asked how Duterte responded, Trudeau said: “The president was receptive to my comments and it was throughout a very cordial and positive exchange.”

“This is something that is important to Canadians, and it’s important to the world and I will always bring that up,” Trudeau said, referring to human rights.

The Canadian prime minister added he offered support to Duterte “as a friend to help move forward on what is a real challenge”.

Duterte is hosting world leaders as the Philippines holds the rotating chair of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc.

Trudeau’s comments were a rare sour note for Duterte during a summit that has been largely silent on the issue.

Trump garnered headlines on Monday for his show of camaraderie with Duterte, a man who last week boasted of having personally stabbed someone to death as a teenager.

A Philippine presidential spokesman repeatedly insisted Monday that human rights had not come up during their summit talks, although the White House said they had done so “briefly”.

Ahead of a regional summit in the Philippines, rights groups had urged world leaders to challenge Duterte over what they say are gross abuses.

The 72-year-old overwhelmingly won elections last year vowing to eradicate drugs through a campaign that would see up to 100,000 people killed.

Since he took office, police have reported killing 3,967 people in the crackdown. 

Another 2,290 people have been murdered in drug-related crimes, while thousands of other deaths remain unsolved, according to government data.

Rights groups say Duterte may be presiding over a crime against humanity.  With a report from Agence France-Presse

source: globalnation.inquirer.net

LOOK: Trudeau rides an electronic jeepney in Makati

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a ride in an electronic jeepney during his meeting with Filipino-Canadian innovators of the vehicle on the second day of his visit in Manila.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Thomas Orbos accompanied Trudeau during the ceremony held in front of The Peninsula Manila hotel in Makati City on Monday noon.

The Canadian official is in Manila for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit which the Philippines is hosting.

Trudeau also made headlines on Sunday when he visited the famous Filipino food chain Jollibee at the North Harbor branch in Tondo, Manila.

Aside from ordering Jollibee meals, the charismatic prime minister the spent time chatting with some customers and restaurant staff. /je

source: globalnation.inquirer.net

Macron, Trudeau ‘bromance’ fires up internet

“A liberal fantasy dream sequence”, “a bromance,” “insanely romantic”.

The Internet was abuzz Friday with pictures of French President Emmanuel Macron and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau schmoozing at the G7 summit in Sicily, strolling through flowered walkways and chatting against the backdrop of a sparkling blue Mediterranean sea.

“Apparently Justin Trudeau and Emmanuel Macron flew to Sicily for their wedding photoshoot,” netizen @sherlockify joked on Twitter.

The reaction to the telegenic pair’s encounter in the picturesque, hillside town of Taormina, immortalized by Macron himself who tweeted a video of their meeting, provided some light relief from a summit otherwise devoted to thorny issues such as climate change and the threat of extremism.

“The Franco-Canadian friendship has a new face,” Macron tweeted after sitting down for talks with Trudeau and taking the now famous stroll.

“@JustinTrudeau, it’s up to us to take on the challenges of our generation!”

“Sitting down with @EmmanuelMacron for the first time, talking jobs, security & climate -– looking forward to more conversations, my friend,” Trudeau responded on Twitter, posting pictures of both smiling, shaking hands, and looking out over the Mediterranean, their dapper suit jackets billowing in the breeze.

Macron, 39, has only been in power for 12 days but enjoys similar kudos, particularly abroad where he has been compared to Trudeau.

“This image of Trudeau and Macron in Sicily is right out of a liberal fantasy dream sequence,” tweeted Dhruva Jaishankar, an expert on foreign policy at the India section of the Brookings Institution think tank.

Others were even more explicit.

“Le swoon, le sigh,” tweeted netizen MissMary, above a photo of both leaders in apparent earnest chat.

“Is there a budding bromance between Macron and Trudeau? Two hunks!” added @MaureenRamsden.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Trudeau, Ivanka Trump see Broadway musical

NEW YORK— Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — along with first daughter Ivanka Trump — have welcomed a new musical that celebrates Canadian compassion following 9/11.

Trudeau and Trump and some 120 ambassadors from around the world attended the show “Come From Away” on Wednesday night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, in one of the cities where the bulk of the 3,000 people killed in the attacks died.

The musical is set in the small Newfoundland town of Gander, which opened its arms and homes to some 7,000 airline passengers diverted there when the U.S. government shut down its airspace.

In remarks before the show, Trudeau said: “The world gets to see what it is to lean on each other and be there for each other through the darkest times.”

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Trump and Trudeau will meet face to face for the first time

OTTAWA, Ontario — The first face to face meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Trump could be the most important meeting for Canada in decades between leaders of the two neighbors.

Trudeau will be at the White House on Monday at a time many Canadians fear Trump will enact protectionist measures that could hurt their economy and worry the new president could be as combative as he was with the leaders of Mexico and Australia.

Trudeau, 45, and Trump, 70, have vastly different outlooks on the world. Trudeau is a liberal who champions global trade and has welcomed 40,000 Syrian refugees. Trump is a protectionist and his moves to restrict entry of refugees and immigrants are expected to come up Monday. But Trudeau is expected to emphasize common economic interests.

“We’re going to talk about all sorts of things we align on, like jobs and economic growth, opportunities for the middle class – the fact that millions of good jobs on both sides of our border depend on the smooth flow of goods and services across that border,” Trudeau said.

But Trudeau also said they are “going to talk about things that I’m sure we disagree on and we’ll do it in a respectful way. Canada will always stay true to the values that have made us this extraordinary country, a place of openness.”

After Trump signed the executive order pausing entries to the US from seven Muslim-majority nations, Trudeau tweeted that Canada welcomed people fleeing persecution, terrorism and war. Trudeau said “diversity is our strength.” His spokeswoman said Trudeau was looking forward discussing Canada’s immigration and refugee policy with Trump.

But Trudeau isn’t expected to poke the new president like his headstrong father, late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, did to previous presidents during the almost 16 years he was in office.

Tall and trim, Justin Trudeau channels the star power of his storied father but is less confrontational.

American relations are crucial for Canada as more than 75 percent of the country’s exports and 98 percent of its oil exports go to the US. About 18 percent of US exports go to Canada. There are fears Canada could be sideswiped if Trump targets Mexico in a re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade agreement.

But Wall Street tycoon and Trump adviser Stephen Schwarzman has said “things should go well for Canada” if the president reopens NAFTA because the northern neighbor has a balanced trade relationship with the United States. Schwarzman, who leads Trump’s economic advisory group, said other countries have large trade unbalances and markets that aren’t as open to American trade as Canada’s.

There’s no indication Trump views Canada as a problem or an economic adversary but Trump is unpredictable, said Roland Paris, a former senior foreign policy to Trudeau. Paris called it a very important moment in U.S.-Canada relations and said he’s cautiously optimistic the two will can have a constructive relationship focused on increasing economic ties.

“Canadians expect their prime minister to do two things: uphold Canadian values and to have an effective constructive relationship with the president of the United States. That’s a balancing act and it’s not necessarily going to be easy,” Paris said.

Canada has not been the subject of a Trump tweet but fears remain about Trump’s impulsiveness.

“We’re dealing with someone who has abused the Mexican president and the Australian prime minister,” said Robert Bothwell, a professor at the University of Toronto.

Bothwell said Trudeau should avoid confrontation considering the stakes and how delicate the situation is.

“Most American presidents have been pretty level headed. You have to go back to the monarchs of the Middle Ages or Roman Emperors. How does Nero feel today? Is his stomach acting up? What does the emperor decree?” Bothwell said. “We’re back in the Roman empire. We haven’t had anything like this.” –Rob Gillies

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Canada’s Trudeau probed for lavish vacation

OTTAWA, Canada – Canada’s ethics commissioner has opened a probe of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over his lavish post-Christmas vacation at the private island of billionaire philanthropist and spiritual leader the Aga Khan.

In a letter to an opposition Conservative member of Parliament shown to AFP on Monday, Commissioner Mary Dawson said she was investigating whether Trudeau breached ethics laws in receiving a free Bahamas vacation and in using the Aga Khan’s helicopter to fly to his private island.

Trudeau and his family, as well as a Liberal MP and the president of the party and their spouses, stayed at the Aga Khan’s home on Bell Island in the Bahamas for a post-Christmas vacation.

The Aga Khan’s foundation has received hundreds of millions of dollars from the Canadian government to promote development and other projects in several countries. It is registered as a lobbyist.

Canadian conflict of interest laws prohibit officeholders from accepting gifts. Free travel is specifically listed as prohibited for ministers.

Trudeau last week addressed the controversy after the opposition complained to Dawson, saying, “This was a personal family vacation.”

The Aga Khan is a longtime friend of the Trudeau family, he added.

On a cross-Canada tour to bolster support for his leadership and his Liberal Party, Trudeau told reporters Monday, “I’ve heard from a number of people across the country that they’re concerned about this, and that’s why I take this very seriously.” He said he would happily respond to questions from the ethics commissioner and others.

No Canadian prime minister has ever been found in breach of a federal statute, and even if Trudeau is found guilty of such a breach, the sanctions would be effectively a slap on the wrist.

The political fallout, however, is likely to be much worse for Trudeau, who rose to power in 2015 on a platform of openness and ethical conduct. CBB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Canadians cheering up Americans with #TellAmericaItsGreat

NEW YORK— America’s neighbors to the north — so often the butt of their jokes — are taking to social media to try to keep spirits up in the U.S. during this divisive election season.

Using the hashtag #TellAmericaItsGreat, Canadians have swamped Twitter with compliments about American music, culture, technology and even tailgating. The outpouring of love triggered a reply — #TellCanadaThanks.

It’s all an effort started by the Toronto-based ad agency The Garden Collective, which chose its hashtag as a play on Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America great again.” The firm’s video launching the social media push has gotten over 752,000 YouTube views and the hashtag has been trending on Twitter for several days. Many Canadians have made their own mini-videos, too.

Dic Dickerson, managing director of the firm, called it a pet project they devised for no other reason than to just spread love. “We put it out there and I don’t think any of us expected to get as much traction as it did but we’re really, really excited by all the positivity,” he said. “A lot of people are talking, which is exactly what we wanted.”

The agency was founded about 18 months ago and usually focuses its attention on businesses. Dickerson said they’d never done anything like this.

“Every day we come in and the founders and myself and our team, we sit around and sort of talk about what’s new, what’s everybody reading, what are we looking at, and it always sort of came back to this notion of just how negative everything was about this upcoming election,” he said. “You can either pile on with the negativity or try to look at the positive side of things.”

Some of the things Canadians say they admire about the U.S. are its federal parks, its diversity, its missions to Mars, jazz and Tupac Shakur. One Canadian from Halifax on Tuesday complimented Americans for baseball, “The Catcher in the Rye” and first lady Michelle Obama.

Canadians, who have long been mocked by their southern neighbors for their accents (“aboot”), their creation of Justin Bieber and an apparent abundance of moose, have enjoyed some good press recently, largely thanks to their telegenic new prime minister, Justin Trudeau.

Americans, meanwhile, have been in the doldrums as Trump and Hillary Clinton face accusations of running a squalid campaign for presidency, not to mention several dispiriting Hollywood breakups, including the demise of Brangelina. The land that gave the world Ryan Gosling has now proven as seemingly warm and kind as that sensitive actor in America’s time of need.

“Don’t worry neighbors, if the election goes haywire, you can all come and live up here with us, plenty of room!” wrote one Canadian on Twitter.

Only the most cynical people would suspect this, but might the cheer-up ad campaign be really a massive attempt to troll Americans? Is this just a big mocking of the Yanks? Dickerson said no.

“It’s only coming from a place of love,” he said. “We’ve kind of been joking around about it like it’s a collective group hug from your neighbors to the north. It just felt right at this moment to share the love.”

source: technology.inquirer.net

LOOK: Canadian PM Trudeau parties with Filipinos in Toronto

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended a local Filipino food festival in Toronto on Saturday.

Sporting the barong tagalog that he wore during the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) welcome dinner last November, Trudeau cooked barbeque with the members of the Filipino community.

“Serving up a Taste of Manila with Toronto’s Filipino community today. Mabuhay!” was Trudeau’s caption in the photos which he posted on his Facebook account early Sunday.

Canada is home to more than 700,000 Filipinos.

source: globalnation.inquirer.net

Trudeau makes history, joins gay pride march in Toronto

MONTREAL, Canada — Justin Trudeau made history Sunday by marching with tens of thousands of people in Toronto’s Gay Pride parade, becoming the country’s first sitting prime minister to participate.

Thunderous applause greeted Trudeau as he paraded down a main Toronto artery, waving a Canadian maple-leaf flag bordered with a rainbow.

The youthful politician, whose popularity is soaring, donned a salmon-colored, button-down shirt and white jeans, taking selfies and shaking hands with those lining the parade route.

The colorful procession observed a minute of silence to pay respect to the victims of the June 12 nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida that left 49 dead.

The city tightened security, but kept the enhanced measures discreet to maintain a festive spirit. Toronto police have not released an official attendance count, but organizers had expected one million attendees.

Trudeau also walked in the annual parade last year as head of the Liberal Party, then the opposition leader facing former president Stephen Harper’s conservative government.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne — Canada’s first openly gay head of a province — and Toronto Mayor John Tory marched alongside Trudeau.

The three politicians attended an outdoor worship service Sunday morning in the city’s gay district.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Thousands evacuated due to Alberta, Canada wildfire — official

MONTREAL, Canada — Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate a city in the Canadian oil sands region due to a major wildfire approaching Fort McMurray’s north end, officials said Tuesday.

The fire was “growing rapidly” toward the city in Alberta province. Mandatory evacuations were now in effect for seven neighborhoods in the city of 100,000, according to an alert issued around 3:30 pm (2130 GMT) by Alberta emergency authorities.

Shortly afterwards, the situation worsened.

“A number of evacs under way, and likely more to come. Be calm. Be prepared. Be ready to move politely in traffic to a safe destination,” Mayor Melissa Blake tweeted.

Long lines of cars headed north via the main highway of the city after police closed the southward lanes.

Authorities urged residents to head toward evacuation centers some 20 kilometers (12 miles) away.

The fire, which was contained until Monday south of Fort McMurray, was pushed toward the city by winds and quickly reached homes, helped by a drought in Alberta. The province saw record temperatures of nearly 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday.

On Monday, an alert was issued and some 500 people were evacuated as a precaution due to smoke from the wildfire.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

New Canadian PM Trudeau arrives in PHL for APEC meet

Newly installed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Manila on late Tuesday afternoon for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting.

Trudeau was welcomed by Philippine Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Neil Reeder at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at about 5:40 p.m.

The APEC summit is the second stop for Trudeau's first official overseas trip as prime minister after the Group of 20 (G20) in Turkey on November 15 and 16.

According to the Canadian government's official website, Trudeau will work with his counterparts at the APEC summit "to promote sustainable economic growth, with a focus on small and medium enterprises, and to enhance social inclusion and institution building."

He will also hold bilateral discussions with various leaders "to advance issues of mutual interest," it added. —Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/KBK, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com