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Trudeau Has HISSY FIT Over Twitter Labeling the CBC “Government-Funded Media”

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Trudeau Has HISSY FIT Over Twitter Labeling the CBC "Government-Funded Media"

The CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, said on Monday that it would suspend operations on Twitter after it was labeled “government-funded Media.” The CBC stated that it is not “government-funded” but rather “publicly funded” through a parliamentary appropriation voted on by all Members of Parliament.

“Our journalism is objective and unbiased.” To claim otherwise is false. “As a result, we are suspending our activities on @Twitter,” the CBC announced Monday.

Earlier in the day, Justin Trudeau accused Pierre Poilievre of soliciting the assistance of US billionaire Elon Musk to undermine Canada’s public broadcaster, after Poilievre urged Musk to term the CBC “government-funded.”

Last Monday, Poilievre tweeted that he had written to Musk to request that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation be labelled “accurately.”

Poilievre, who took over the Conservative Party last year and is seeking to defund the CBC, applauded the decision on Twitter, writing that “now people know that it is Trudeau propaganda, not news.”

“Attacking this Canadian institution, attacking the culture and local content that is so important to so many Canadians, really indicates the values and approach that Mr. Poilievre is putting forward,” Trudeau told reporters.

“To attack this institution that is important to many, many Canadians, he turns to American billionaires, the tech behemoths that they continue to defend.”

Trudeau has a Hissy Fit Over CBC Classification

Meanwhile, Canada’s National Post reported that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is so concerned with teaching Canadians how to tell the difference between fact and fiction on the internet that his government has spent millions encouraging digital media literacy.

However, when Twitter labelled the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as “Government-funded Media” — a statement that is undeniably true — the prime minister was enraged and immediately attempted to blame the Conservatives for attempting to “attack” and delegitimize “independent media organisations.”

Of all, there is nothing “independent” about a media outlet that receives more than $1.2 billion in government funding each year. Suggesting differently is, at best, deceptive.

The dispute arose as a result of Twitter’s push to flag state-affiliated accounts, including government-funded media sources, in an apparent attempt to provide people with the information they need to determine whether they are being fed government propaganda.

In recent years, Western governments and media have taken the issue of state actors propagating disinformation through social media very seriously. However, when pressed to be truthful about their own funding models, public broadcasters pitched a collective hissy fit.

In the United States, both NPR and PBS declared last week that they would no longer use the social networking site owing to the new categorization.

In the United Kingdom, the BBC made a huge deal about being labelled as “government-funded,” and successfully urged Twitter to change its title to “publicly funded,” because it is paid by a TV tax rather than direct subsidies.

Many people wondered why our own public broadcaster had escaped being called out for what it is, thus Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rightfully called on Twitter CEO Elon Musk to hold Canadian media to the same standard.

Attacking Canada’s foundational Canadian institution

On Sunday, Trudeau accused the Conservatives of “trying to attack a foundational Canadian institution.” The CBC also declared that it is “pausing” its usage of the social network, which it accuses of undermining its editorial independence.

According to the Canadian Press, the CBC “has drawn a distinction between ‘government’ and ‘public’ funding because the money it receives is granted through a vote in Parliament.”

Twitter distinguishes between “government-funded media,” where “the government provides some or all of the outlet’s funding,” and “publicly-funded media,” which “receive funding from licence fees, individual contributions, public financing, and commercial financing.”

The CBC clearly falls into the first group, considering that roughly a third of its budget is taken straight from taxpayers’ purses. The fact that the money was approved by Parliament is a moot point, because all government spending must eventually be affirmed by a vote in the legislature.

Although Poilievre claimed that the public broadcaster had been exposed as “Trudeau propaganda, not news” — which is no more true than accusing the CBC a decade ago of being “Harper propaganda” — few, if any, are suggesting that the CBC is comparable to state media in authoritarian countries such as China and Iran.

These organisations are classified as “state-affiliated media” by Twitter, which describes them as “outlets where the state exercises editorial control over editorial content.”

CBC Quotes journalistic standards

Mother Corp is particularly irritated by Twitter’s assertion that government-funded media “may have varying degrees of government involvement over editorial content.” According to the CBC, this cannot be the case because its “editorial independence is protected in law in the Broadcasting Act,” it is subject to journalistic standards, and it has a “independent” complaints mechanism.

This line of reasoning is rather deceptive, because the Broadcasting Act ensures “independence enjoyed by the corporation in the pursuit of its objects.” Those goals are established in legislation, and while they are very wide, it is undeniably true that the government defines its mandate and can amend it at any time.

The main issue with a state broadcaster like the CBC is that its reliance on government funds ensures that its objectivity is always called into question.

A few weeks before the 2000 election, the CBC aired an oddly timed attack piece portraying Canadian Alliance Leader Stockwell Day as a terrifying religious zealot who thought humans coexisted with dinosaurs, without ever seeking comment from the man at the centre of the charges.

There was never any evidence that the Prime Minister’s Office or the Liberal war room had any control over the CBC, but everyone knew who was feeding it.

CBC Sues Conservative Party

Just days before the 2019 election, the Crown corporation filed a baseless lawsuit seeking an injunction against the Conservative Party for allegedly infringing on the CBC’s copyright in campaign materials.

The suit, which initially named two CBC journalists as applicants, was never going to have much of an impact on the outcome of the vote, but it is also not the type of thing an impartial news outlet would do during an election on which it is expected to report objectively.

Again, no one is claiming that the ruling Liberals were involved in the decision. But we also have a prime minister who has no qualms about requesting that his attorney general intervene in the prosecution of a politically favoured firm or forcing the RCMP commissioner to suppress information concerning a mass massacre in order to advance Liberal gun-control initiatives.

Few would be astonished if the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) ever pulled some strings at the CBC at a politically advantageous time.

Even if the Canadian public is assured that such a thing will never happen, and that the half of the country who believes the CBC has a partisan Liberal bias is completely delusory, there is no way to free the broadcaster from the inherent incentives that come with being reliant on the public treasury for its very existence.

The CBC will have a vested interest in preserving support for big government policies and the parties that support them as long as its financing comes from the government. As a result, we have a system in which the government takes our money and spends it to convince us of the virtues of socialism.

If we want to empower an informed and involved public to judge the truth of the multiplicity of information sources available in today’s online environment, we must be willing to call a spade a spade.

The CBC definitely receives the majority of its financing from the government. If it believes this is a terrible thing, it should support Poilievre’s vow to defund it rather than hiding behind its own spin.

Trudeau’s minority government is backed by the left-wing New Democrats, and the next election is not scheduled until 2025.

 

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Australia Swelters Under Extreme Heat As Rare Early Cyclone Barrels Toward Northern Coast

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A tropical cyclone has rapidly strengthened off Australia’s northern coast, as millions face heat wave conditions expected to last into the weekend.

According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, severe tropical storm Jasper strengthened to the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on Friday, with maximum winds of 220 kilometers per hour (138 mph).

“Further intensification Friday is possible, and a category 5 system cannot be ruled out,” according to the country’s meteorology bureau.

According to a CNN investigation of National Hurricane Center storm tracks, Jasper is the earliest Category 4 tropical cyclone to form in the Coral Sea since records began in 1900.

The storm, which is 1,195 kilometers (742 miles) northeast of Queensland and moving south at 9 kilometers per hour (6 miles per hour), could hit the coast near Cairns, a city of 250,000 people, with maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour) by early Tuesday.

Forecasters believe the expected route could change.

australia

Australia Swelters Under Extreme Heat As Rare Early Cyclone Barrels Toward Northern Coast

During El Nio, a climate trend in the Pacific Ocean along the equator that often reduces rainfall on Australia’s east coast, the storm arrives unusually early.

This year’s system has had an impact on weather all over the world, and it has the potential to significantly impact storm seasons.

Meanwhile, heat advisories are in effect in various states and territories, including New South Wales, which has a population of almost 8 million people.

Temperatures in Sydney, the state capital of New South Wales, are anticipated to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday, thanks to strong, dry winds.

Due to the elevated risk of bushfires, some Sydney schools were forced to close on Friday, and a total fire ban was in effect in some parts of NSW.

On Friday, regions of South Australia received a “catastrophic” fire rating, the highest on the scale, indicating that lives and property are likely to be lost if a fire starts.

australia

Parts of New South Wales and Victoria have extreme fire risk ratings.

The heat is expected to subside by the end of the weekend and into early next week.

With frequent heat waves, excessive rains, and destructive bushfires, Australia is one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate catastrophe.

Earlier this year, amid Australia’s warmest winter since records began in 1910, more than 20 runners in the Sydney Marathon were hospitalized due to heat exhaustion.

Ski resorts, including the country’s largest, Perisher, also closed early owing to a lack of snow.

Fears were especially high because the devastating 2020 Black Summer fires, the country’s worst in decades, are still fresh in the minds of millions of Australians.

The fires consumed 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres), killing hundreds and destroying over 3,000 homes.

SOURCE – CNN

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Azerbaijan And Armenia Agree To Prisoner Swap And To Work Towards Peace Deal

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Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed to exchange prisoners and work toward restoring relations and a peace agreement to end a decades-long conflict, which the US and EU have applauded.

According to a joint statement issued by Azerbaijan’s state news agency, AZERTAC, Azerbaijan will swap 32 prisoners of war for two military personnel.

“The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan both believe that there is a historical chance for the region to achieve long-awaited peace.” The two countries “reaffirm their intention to normalize relations and reach a peace treaty based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to the statement. The breakthrough resulted from conversations between the offices of Azerbaijan’s president and Armenia’s prime minister.

“An agreement has been reached on taking tangible steps towards building confidence between two countries,” the statement says.

armenia

Azerbaijan And Armenia Agree To Prisoner Swap And To Work Towards Peace Deal

According to Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, the prisoner swap was “an important confidence-building measure” as the two countries worked toward a peace agreement.

“We commend Azerbaijani President (Ilham) Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister (Nikol) Pashinyan for their joint efforts to lay the groundwork for a more peaceful and prosperous future for the people of the South Caucasus,” the statement read. “The United States will continue to strongly support efforts to reach a durable and dignified peace.”

“Establishing and deepening the bilateral dialogue between sides has been a key objective of the EU-led Brussels process: today’s progress is a significant step,” said EU Council President Charles Michel on X. “I now encourage the leaders to finalize the … peace deal ASAP.”

The neighboring countries have been at odds for decades over Nagorno-Karabakh, an area in the Caucasus Mountains.

After mounting a quick 24-hour attack, Azerbaijan reclaimed control of Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic-Armenian enclave within its boundaries, in September.

armenia

Azerbaijan And Armenia Agree To Prisoner Swap And To Work Towards Peace Deal

Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has been controlled by Armenian rebels for decades. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, and cease-fire agreements have proven unstable.

Armenia admitted earlier this year that the province was part of Azerbaijan, but there are still disagreements about the future of its administration.

The latest progress on prisoner swaps and repairing relations came as delegates from both countries gathered in Dubai for the COP28 climate conference.

The statement also stated that Armenia would withdraw from consideration to host the annual UN-backed climate meeting next year and that Azerbaijan hoped other nations would support its bid.

armenia

Azerbaijan And Armenia Agree To Prisoner Swap And To Work Towards Peace Deal

There is a vacancy for the summit host for COP29 in 2024, which, according to UN standards, should be hosted in Eastern Europe. Before Thursday, the two countries had been obstructing each other’s candidacy in the voting process.

A vote among the region’s nations determines the year’s host country. Russia voted against numerous countries that are members of or allies of the European Union.

Azerbaijan is a big oil and gas producer that has been strengthening ties with Russia. Oil and gas account for about half of the country’s GDP and over 90% of its exports.

SOURCE – (CNN)

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Ukraine Makes New Push To Defeat Russia’s Electronic Warfare

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A drone video that appeared to show a targeted strike blowing up three antennas on the roof of an apartment building surfaced online in early November. The Ukrainian drone commander who shared it claimed to have destroyed a Russian Pole-21 electronic warfare equipment near Donetsk on the eastern front.

Regarding electronic warfare, Ukraine is already catching up to Russia.

This attack also demonstrates Kyiv’s urgency to destroy Moscow’s technology on the battlefield, indicating how critical it may be for the war’s future.

Electronic warfare, or EW, uses electromagnetic weapons or techniques. Both forces deploy it in this battle, primarily through electronic jammers that disrupt GPS-guided targeting systems, leading rockets to miss their objectives.

After nearly six months of Ukraine’s sluggish and grinding counteroffensive, it is evident that Russia has created not only great physical barriers but also formidable electronic defenses, and Ukrainian forces on the front lines must react rapidly.

ukraine

Ukraine Makes New Push To Defeat Russia’s Electronic Warfare

The drone commander with Ukraine’s 59th Motorized Brigade, which carried out the early November strike, Pavlo Petrychenko, believes that successfully destroying these systems is crucial if Ukraine is to take more land. Since the summer, there has been an increase in the frequency of Ukrainian military and media claims of successful strikes against Pole-21 systems.

“At the beginning of the conflict, they used electronic warfare to interfere with our communication, our walkie-talkies, radiocommunications, telephones, and drones,” he told CNN via video chat from near Avdiivka on the war’s eastern front, which is currently the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting.

“However, as we began to receive foreign equipment, they began to use these systems to suppress our weapons.”

“Since (the both US-provided) HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) and Excalibur 155 (an extended range artillery projectile) are guided by satellites, electronic warfare is actively used by (Russia) as one element of the defense against us,” Petrychenko said in a statement.

A flaw in Ukraine’s NATO-supplied armor
And this is the issue for Ukraine. Russian jammers have exploited the technological advantage of Ukraine’s Western-supplied arsenal of “smart” – guided – weapons.

Precision-guided missiles and guided multiple-launch rocket systems, such as HIMARS, are more vulnerable to electronic warfare than unguided weapons due to their reliance on GPS to hit their targets. Unguided weapons, which were common in both Russia and Ukraine’s Soviet-era stocks before 2022, do not.

ukraine

Ukraine Makes New Push To Defeat Russia’s Electronic Warfare

The Pole-21 device, designed to jam GPS signals to defend Russian assets from approaching drones or missiles, is only one component of Moscow’s expanding electronic arsenal.

The Kremlin’s playbook includes jamming, as well as “spoofing” GPS – a method that effectively fools an adversary drone or missile into thinking it is somewhere else – which also impairs radar, radio, and even cell connections.

According to state news agency TASS, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told a government meeting in September that production of major types of military equipment, including EW, had more than doubled in the first eight months of the year.

According to experts and Ukrainian officials, Russia has now fully incorporated electronic warfare into its forces.

In a recent essay, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Valery Zaluzhny, stated that Russia is now mass producing what he refers to as “trench electronic warfare.”

“The tactical level of Russian troops is saturated with (this equipment),” Zaluzhny said, adding that despite equipment losses, Moscow maintains “significant electronic warfare superiority.”

Zaluzhny also singled out American-made Excalibur shells, adding that their “capability has been significantly reduced, because the targeting system (using GPS) is very sensitive to the influence of enemy electronic warfare.”

Maj. Charlie Dietz, a Pentagon spokesperson, stated that “while the impact of Russian jamming has been observed” in certain US-supplied systems, including HIMARS rocket launchers, “it has not rendered these systems ineffective.”

ukraine

Ukraine Makes New Push To Defeat Russia’s Electronic Warfare

According to Dietz, the agency has mitigated those vulnerabilities, including “substantial efforts to re-engineer and update these systems.” Updates are “being implemented as quickly as possible to counteract the effects of EW jamming,” he added.

Right now, the best hope they have is that videos of his early November drone strike go viral, according to Petrychenko. With so many Ukrainian troops on social media, any viral clip like this would serve as a manual, assisting them in identifying Russian antennas on the battlefield.

This is shifting the game outside of Ukraine.

“I think what you’re seeing play out in Ukraine is very much a glimpse into what modern warfare looks like today,” said Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former Pentagon principal deputy undersecretary for defense. She envisions a future where “electronic warfare capabilities and tactics are integrated into conventional force operations.”

ukraine

Ukraine Makes New Push To Defeat Russia’s Electronic Warfare

According to Dietz, a Pentagon spokesperson, the United States is “actively evaluating and adapting its strategies” in electronic warfare, which he sees as a “fundamental aspect of contemporary and future military engagements.”

Fedorov stated that Ukraine is actively investing in electronic warfare while also following in the footsteps of his drone program by promoting indigenous production.

And he is open about the fact that Ukraine requires assistance from its Western partners in terms of both equipment and knowledge.

“We have all the technology we need in the West.” The question may be how to use it, which is important. We must consider the next technological level of the conflict.”

SOURCE – (CNN)

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