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Quebec Student Roundtable will attend summit
The Quebec Student Roundtable will be attending the province’s summit on higher education at the end of the month.
The roundtable’s general secretary Paul-Émile Auger, told CBC News that the group will attend to share its views on the future of universities.
He also pointed out that the group doesn’t have a confrontational relationship with the government and they don’t plan on recreating last spring’s protests.
The umbrella group ASSE pulled out of the summit last week and have planned protests targeting the event and have been considering a strike.
The Quebec Student Roundtable represents about seventy thousand students from Laval, McGill and Sherbrooke universities.
Protest held in U.S. capital over proposed pipeline
Opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline project are hoping President Barack Obama will give thumbs down for Canada’s plan.
According to CBC News, thousands of protesters from across the United States showed up in Washington D.C. yesterday. They say Alberta’s oil sands have a negative effect on global warming.
The pipeline, which would extend Alberta’s oil sands to refineries along the Texas coast, is a plan the U.S. should be in favour of, according to Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.
He was aware of what went on yesterday, and said the pipeline is great for job creation in both countries.
Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry said a decision will come soon, leaving the future of the Keystone pipeline up in the air for the time being.
After a similar protest last year, Obama postponed the same decision until after the presidential election.
Still, the Harper government has long been on the same page as the U.S. in terms of climate change.
The fate of the 7-billion-dollar project will be up to Secretary of State John Kerry.
He hopes to announce his decision in the near term.
STORY WRITTEN BY: KURT WEISS
Protests in Bangladesh sparks a new law
Thanks to recent protests, the Bangladesh government has agreed to amend a law that will allow an appeal to be granted concerning the life sentence of a war criminal.
According to the BBC, the country’s parliament has agreed to let prosecutors appeal against the life sentence given to Abdul Kader Mullah, a Jamaat chief who is accused of crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s war of independence with Pakistan in 1971.
When Mullah was given a life sentence, demonstrators took to the streets for two weeks in protest of the ruling.
Protestors were asking that the death penalty be given to Mullah, and reportedly cheered in the country’s capital of Dhaka on Sunday when the government’s decision was announced.
The amendment not only allows for appeals to be made against verdicts at the International Crimes Tribunal, but also enables a special tribunal to prosecute political parties or groups allegedly involved in war crimes.
Flickr Photo by: lordamit
STORY WRITTEN BY: NIKITA SMITH
Countdown to Armageddon Soulfly Ticket Giveaway
Tune in to Countdown to Armageddon this Monday, February 18th 8-10 PM EST for your chance to win a pair of tickets to see Soulfly. The band will be playing at Théâtre Corona in Montréal on March 9th.
February 15, 2013
Hosted by: Saturn De Los Angeles
Stories by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi, Alyssa Tremblay & Catlin Spencer
Produced by: Catlin Spencer
Bullying problem at the RCMP?
The RCMP may have a bullying problem within their ranks.
According to CBC News, a report released by the force’s watchdog does point to the fact that there is a bullying problem in the RCMP. The report was commissioned after two female Mounties confessed to being the victims of systemic sexual harassment.
The report details about 700 hundred harassment complaints filed between 2005 and 2011. 90 per cent of the complaints involved bullying and 4 per cent dealt with sexual harassment.
Several Mounties came forward in 2011 citing abusive behavior and intimidation at the hands of their colleagues.
The report comes one day after the RCMP in BC was accused of abusive acts against aboriginal women, including rape. The Human Rights Watch has urged the federal government to start a national inquiry.
Flickr Photo by: ActiveSteve
School boards speak out over proposed cuts to education sector
On Thursday the English School Boards Association spoke out against recent cuts to the province’s education budget.
According to the CBC, over the last five years five hundred million dollars has been cut from French and English school board budgets.
The PQ’s education minister suggested school boards make up the difference by raising taxes or cutting administrative costs.
But president of the English School Boards Association David D’Aoust says school boards are already taxing as much as they’re allowed to at thirty-five cents per one hundred dollar property evaluation.
A referendum would have to be called in order to raise that maximum amount.
D’Aoust says school boards will be forced to make the cuts to student services and building maintenance.
STORY WRITTEN BY: ALYSSA TREMBLAY
February 14, 2013
Hosted By: Catlin Spencer
Stories by: Aisha Samu, Saturn De Los Angeles & Chloe Deneumoustier
Produced by: Jenna Monney-Lupert
P-Q puts back research funding
The provincial government has brought back funding for environmental protection and health research.
But they're in hot water for slashing them off the annual budget in the first place.
CBC News is reporting that Higher Education Minister Pierre Duchesne reinstated $26.5 million dollars to research funding. That amount is good for one year.
However, the Liberals are not happy with the government's fickle move of taking out money and putting back in the coffers. Interim leader Jean-Marc Fournier says the P-Q has no vision on governing and does not think about the consequences.
Quebec Premier Pauline Marois defended herself by blaming the Liberals. They left a budget shortfall of more than $1.5 billion dollars.
That forced the provincial government to slash research funding in the first place. 63-million dollars was cut.
Researchers say the funding cuts could potentially force laboratories to close and research projects to go on hiatus.
Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault says that the funding should be brought back permanently. He thinks research is profitable for Quebec's economy.
Health Scientist Dr. Serge Rivest is a health scientist at the Quebec University Hospital Centre.
He welcomes the decision to bring back the funding.
He says the reinstatement is very good news for Quebec's hospital patients and the population in general.
STORY WRITTEN BY: SATURN DE LOS ANGELES
EU-US Trade deal reached
The United States and The European Union have agreed to launch talks on a free trade pact.
According to Aljezeera, negotiations could begin as early as June of this year.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barrosospoke at press conference yesterday.
He announced the release of a joint US-EU report recommending the trade deal.
Barroso said
the deal would set a standard for “the development of global trade rules.”
These two economies make up half the world’s economic output.
Flickr Photo by: EPP Group in the European Parliament (Officail)
STORY WRITTEN BY: CHLOE DENEUMOUSTIER
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