15-21 January 2018 - 16-min

15 - 21 January, 2018 9
J
Canada News
Jurors begin
deliberations
in Quebec oil
train disaster
ury deliberations began on 11th January
in the trial of three men charged with
criminal negligence causing death for a
2013 train derailment that killed 47 people
in Quebec.
Train engineer Tom Harding, traffic
controller Richard Labrie and train
operations manager Jean Demaitre are
charged in connection with the accident in
which a runaway train carrying crude oil
derailed and exploded. They pleaded not
guilty.
The prosecution contends Harding failed to
perform a proper brake test and didn’t apply
enough handbrakes after he parked the 73-
car oil train late on the night of July 5, 2013.
Labrie and Demaitre are accused of failing
to ensure the train was properly secure
after a fire broke out on the locomotive and
firefighters shut off its engine, compromising
the braking system.
The 12-member jury completed its first day
of deliberations.
Thomas Walsh, one of Harding’s lawyers,
told reporters on 11th January the trial
should never even have taken place.
He said that the evidence didn’t justify a
criminal negligence charge and that his client
was targeted because of public pressure to
blame someone for the tragedy.
Harding’s legal team maintains his actions
were not a marked departure from the
behavior of a reasonable person in similar
circumstances and did not reveal a reckless
disregard for the life of others.
Credit : Associated Press (AP)
Photo Credit : Shutterstock
C
NEW DELHI TIMES
Canada launches trade complaint
anada has launched a wide ranging
attack on U.S. trade practices with an
international complaint over Washington’s
use of punitive duties. The U.S. called it illadvised.
The complaint, which was filed last month
but not released until 10th January, ramps
up tensions amid talks on renegotiating the
North American Free Trade Agreement by
the three member countries — the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico.
A senior government official said Canada
is under no illusion that there is a risk
President Trump might pull the U.S. out of
the trade agreement, while another senior
official said the government is prepared for
that possibility while not being certain it will
happen. Both officials spoke on condition of
anonymity because they were not authorized
to speak publicly.
Canada is asking the World Trade
Organization to examine the use of duties
in the United States, alleging they violate
international law. Canada cited 122 cases
in which it says the U.S. unfairly imposed
duties on foreign countries, not just Canada.
The U.S. just announced duties of up to 9
percent on Canadian paper. It follows a
series of similar penalties as the U.S. alleges
unfair trade practices by Canada in the
form of softwood lumber and Bombardier
subsidies.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer
said in a statement that Canada’s complaint
is a “broad and ill-advised attack on the U.S.
P
against US over duties
trade remedies system.” He said it would
damage Canada’s own interest and only
benefit China.
“Canada’s claims are unfounded and could
only lower U.S. confidence that Canada is
committed to mutually beneficial trade,”
Lighthizer said. “Even if Canada succeeded
on these groundless claims, other countries
would primarily benefit, not Canada.
For example, if the U.S. removed the orders
listed in Canada’s complaint, the flood of
imports from China and other countries
would negatively impact billions of dollars
in Canadian exports to the United States.”
Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor
at the University of Toronto, said Canada’s
complaint might have been made public
on 10th January because Canada could
be signaling to the Canadian public not to
2 planes collide on the
ground at Toronto’s
airport
assengers were forced to evacuate via
emergency slides in the frigid cold on
12th January after two planes collided on the
ground at Toronto’s Pearson International
Airport. No injuries have been reported.
WestJet said an inbound from Cancun,
Mexico with 168 passengers and a crew of
Photo Credit : Shutterstock
six was stationary and waiting to go to a gate
when it was struck by a Sunwing aircraft
moving back from a gate.
Video footage from the Westjet plane shows
flames on the wing of the Sunwing plane.
Passengers are heard screaming.
Spokeswoman Lauren\\ Stewart said the
WestJet passengers were evacuated from the
aircraft via emergency slides and all were
safely in the terminal and clearing customs
shortly after the collision.
“Due to the position of the aircraft on the
laneway, WestJet guests required evacuation
via emergency slide. Emergency crews
were on hand and responded immediately,”
Westjet said in a statement.
Sunwing said there were no crew members
or passengers aboard its aircraft. It was
being towed by the airline’s ground handling
service provider at the time of the incident.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority said
fire crews extinguished a small fire on the
Sunwing aircraft and some flight operations
were affected by the incident.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board said it
is investigating.
Credit : Associated Press (AP)
expect anything from the coming round of
NAFTA talks in Montreal later this month,
which he says may well be the last round.
“I think Trump will give the six-month
notice required under NAFTA because he
will see it as a negotiating tactic,” Wiseman
said. “Trump prefers bilateral negotiations
with each of Canada and Mexico.”
The U.S. and Canada typically enjoy a
friendly trade relationship, but things have
soured this year as Trump has demanded big
changes to NAFTA, which is in its 24th year.
Trump’s demands, which range from
requiring that more auto production be in the
U.S. to having more government contracts
in the NAFTA bloc go to U.S. companies,
will likely be unacceptable to Canada and
Mexico.
Credit : Associated Press (AP)
A
Photo Credit : Shutterstock
Toronto police
investigating
after man cuts
girl’s hijab
n 11-year-old Toronto girl says she
was walking to school when a scissorswielding
man cut parts of her hijab.
The Grade 6 student said that she was with
her younger brother when she felt someone
behind her.
She says a man pulled off the hood of her
jacket and started cutting the back of her
hijab.
The girl says she then turned around,
screamed and the man ran away.
She says the man returned a short time later
and continued to cut her hijab from behind
before he smiled and ran away.
Her mother is calling on police to treat it as
a hate crime.
Toronto Const. Jennifferjit Sidhu says they
are looking for a suspect in his 20s.
Sidhu says she was not hurt physically.
Credit : Associated Press (AP)
www.NewDelhiTimes.com