News stories for Monday, June 22nd 2015

By Saturn De Los Angeles

The STM is hoping the new Metro cars will be ready for use at the end of this year.

According to the Montreal Gazette, the La Pocatière-based plant owned by the Bombardier/Alstom consortium, is on its way to completing the production of the new AZUR-branded cars.

The plant had shut down temporarily late last year following a misunderstanding between the software manufacturer Ansaldo STS, and the consortium, taking away 245 jobs.

But early this Spring, the Quebec government intervened with some financial backing worth 31.5 million dollars in order to keep the plant in operation.

The cost of the 468 new cars comes at a total of 2.4 million dollars. Half has been devoted to infrastructure upgrades and financing charges.

With testing already in place in the past several months during overnight hours, the new cars will replace the existing trains running on the Orange and Yellow lines.

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By Patricia Petit Liang

Canadians celebrated indigenous culture on National Aboriginal Day last Sunday, June 21st.

According to CTV News, events such as pow-wows, marches and solstice celebrations were held all across Canada to celebrate the heritage, diversity and achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people in Canada.

It was also a somber day for many, as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report shows that Canada committed cultural genocide through its use of the Residential School system.

With this long history of abuse still affecting countless lives, family members of Canada’s missing and murdered indigenous women marched together to create awareness and to show support for their community.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper released a statement on Sunday, urging Canadians to learn more about indigenous people and their contributions to Canadian history.

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By Saturn De Los Angeles

In India's capital New Delhi, more than 35,000 people celebrated National Yoga Day, on June 21st.

According to ABC News Australia, the United Nations-sanctioned celebration was hosted by prime minister Narendra Modi, who happens to be a big fan of the practice.

The occasion set a new world record for the largest number of people participating in a single yoga session; and brought together Christians, Muslims, and Hindus in the same space with colorful yoga mats just before sunrise.

Modi called on June 21st to "commemorate peace, harmony and "to train the human mind to scale heights."

Secretary General Ram Madhavi from Modi's political party considers yoga as India's greatest contribution to humankind.

DVD copies of the 35-minute routine, made by the Prime Minister's personal yogi were sent to Indian missions overseas in advance of Sunday's event to hold their own yoga events.