B.C. Sikhs hold protest marking two years since community leader's assassination
A few dozen protesters gathered outside the Indian consulate in downtown Vancouver to mark two years since the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., allegedly at the behest of the Indian government. It comes as Canada and India normalize relations. (June 18, 2025).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why is the Palestine Action group being banned by the UK government?
The home secretary is set to ban the Palestine Action protest group and effectively brand it as a terrorist organisation following a break-in at an RAF base. Yvette Cooper is expected to deliver a ministerial statement to Parliament on Monday, in which she is expected to lay out her plans to proscribe the group. New legislation, which would have to be debated by MPs and peers, will be needed to enact a ban of Palestine Action, whose activists entered the RAF Brize Norton base in Oxfordshire and vandalised two planes. A video of the break-in, shared online by the group on Friday, is being viewed as an embarrassing episode for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), particularly as the two protesters managed to exit the base without being arrested. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described the vandalism as "disgraceful" and said it is the government's "responsibility to support those who defend us". But some have questioned whether the damage carried out by Palestine Action should meet the threshold of classing it as a "proscribed organisation". Cooper has decided to proscribe the group, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action. The decision by the home secretary comes after the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton. One person can be seen riding an electric scooter to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. The incident is being investigated by counter-terror police and has prompted a review of security at RAF bases. The group has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire. Friday's incident at Brize Norton prompted calls for the group to be banned, but proscription will require Cooper to lay an order in Parliament, which must then be debated and approved by both MPs and peers. Some 81 organisations have been proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, including Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas and al Qaida. Far-right groups such as National Action, and Russian private military company Wagner Group have also been banned. Another 14 organisations connected with Northern Ireland are also banned under previous legislation, including the IRA and UDA. Belonging to or expressing support for a proscribed organisation, along with a number of other actions, are criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Ministers have said a ban is justified, with defence secretary John Healey describing the vandalism of RAF planes as "totally unacceptable". "These aircraft are used by our military personnel to support security and peace around the world," he said. "This action does nothing to support Gaza or our push for peace and stability in the Middle East". Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: "There can be no place in a democracy for groups that use violence, sabotage and potential terrorist acts to pursue their political goals. "We've called for these groups to be investigated and banned, those responsible to be prosecuted, and any links to foreign agents to be exposed." Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman said banning the group is "absolutely the correct decision", writing on X: "We must have zero tolerance for terrorism." Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have also come out in support of a ban. Lord Walney, who served as the government's independent adviser on political violence, told Sky News the move was "long overdue", claiming that the group had acted as "the enemy within". "They have terrorised working people for a number of years and there's a number of serious violent charges that are going through the court system at the moment," he added. Defending its actions, a spokesperson for Palestine Action said: 'When our government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action. "The terrorists are the ones committing a genocide, not those who break the tools used to commit it.' The spokesperson accused the UK of failing to meet its obligations to prevent or punish genocide, in relation to Israel's onslaught in Gaza. In a statement on X, the group said: "By making plans to ban us, the British state is effectively saying they value the property used to commit genocide more than the people killed. Saeed Taji Farouky, a spokesperson for the group, told Times Radio: "The idea that Palestine Action could end up on the same list as groups like ISIS is just absolutely absurd. This is a knee jerk reaction." Addressing a crowd of pro-Palestine demonstrators in Whitehall on Saturday, former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf accused the government of "abusing" anti-terror laws. Human rights group Amnesty International UK said it is "deeply concerned at the use of counter terrorism powers to target protest groups". "Terrorism powers should never have been used to aggravate criminal charges against Palestine Action activists and they certainly shouldn't be used to ban them," it added. Former justice secretary Lord Charlie Falconer said vandalising aircraft at RAF Brize Norton would not solely provide legal justification for proscribing the protest group. Appearing on Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, he said: "I think the question will probably not be what we know about them publicly, but there would need to be something that was known by those who look at these sorts of things that we don't know about. "They got into the air base which might suggest they've got some degree of ability to make them dangerous, I don't know. 'But generally, that sort of demonstration wouldn't justify proscription so there must be something else that I don't know about ." Keir Starmer says Kneecap Glastonbury performance is not 'appropriate' (The Independent) RAF base 'targeted in Iran spy plot' (The Telegraph) Briton arrested for alleged terrorism offences and spying on RAF base in Cyprus (The Guardian)
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Agents, some in unmarked cars and street clothes, are arresting L.A. immigrants. Who are they?
Immigration arrests in Los Angeles have been headline news and the subject of legal disputes for the past few weeks, but Angelenos watching the drama play out on television and in their communities may be confused about who exactly is putting people in handcuffs and hauling them off. After all, some of the federal agents involved in the raids are in unmarked vehicles, without visible badges, wearing street clothes and covering their faces. Are they U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers or Homeland Security Investigations officials? What is the difference? All these federal agencies are branches of the Department of Homeland Security, which was created to combat terrorism in the United States in the wake of 9/11 terrorist attacks. Its duties include responding to natural disasters, terrorism and homeland security threats, enforcing trade laws (by checking goods coming into and out of the U.S.), as well as managing the flow of people and products at U.S. borders. Three branches of Homeland Security carry out the enforcement of these missions: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Federal agents were most recently sighted without identifying clothing or badges, sporting face coverings and armed with pistols at Dodger Stadium's entry gates on Thursday. When protesters learned of the officials' presence and demonstrated outside the stadium, they held signs that read "ICE out of L.A." But the officials outside the stadium were actually U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents who "were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement," the agency said. Confused? Immigration officials' way of identifying themselves when conducting operations is by verbally saying they're ICE or Homeland Security agents, Homeland Security officials told The Times in a statement. The federal agency also said immigration agents wear vests that say "ICE/ERO" or "Homeland Security" on them, and the name of their respective department is on either one or both sides of their vehicles. "When our heroic law enforcement officers conduct operations, they clearly identify themselves as law enforcement while wearing masks to protect themselves from being targeted by highly sophisticated gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13, criminal rings, murderers, and rapists," said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of Homeland Security. So which immigration officials are in Los Angeles and what is their purpose here? Have U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials been in Los Angeles? At the start of the month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials raided a fashion warehouse in downtown Los Angeles and arrested more than 40 immigrant workers, sparking anti-immigration protests across the county. What is ICE's mission? ICE, along with the agency's Enforcement and Removal Operations officials, identify, arrest, detain and remove immigrants without authorization in the U.S., according to the federal agency's website. ERO agents target public safety threats, the website states, such as convicted criminal undocumented immigrants, gang members and those who "illegally re-entered the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges." Read more: What businesses are the feds targeting during L.A. immigration sweeps? Here's what we know Have Homeland Security Investigations officials been in Los Angeles? Two months before immigration officials began aggressive raids across Los Angeles, Homeland Security Investigations officers took part in two separate arrests involving people suspected of being in the country without authorization. In May, HSI officials raided a nightclub and arrested 36 Chinese and Taiwanese individuals there. The location of the club was not disclosed. The officials were also involved in arresting 12 Mexican citizens, suspected of being unlawfully in the U.S. after traveling in a small boat from Mexico to Long Beach. What is HSI's mission? HSI is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security and a branch within Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Homeland Security Investigations focuses on investigating crime "on a global scale — at home, abroad and online," according to the Homeland Security website. This department conducts federal criminal investigations into the illegal movement of people, goods, money, drugs, weapons, and illegal technology exports and intellectual property crime into and out of the United States. Officials also investigate crimes such as child exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud and scams. Read more: Federal officials arrived, denied entry at L.A. schools amid immigration enforcement fears Have U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials been in Los Angeles? On Thursday, McLaughlin confirmed that CBP officials 'arrested 30 illegal aliens in Hollywood, California, and 9 illegal aliens in San Fernando and Pacoima.' In Hollywood, officers raided the parking lot of a Home Depot where laborers and food vendors worked. What is CBP's mission? U.S. Customs and Border Patrol maintains traffic at checkpoints along highways leading from border areas, conducting city patrols, transportation check and anti-smuggling operations, according to its website. It monitors international boundaries and coastlines in areas of Border Patrol jurisdiction to intercept illegal entry and smuggling of unauthorized individuals into the U.S. CBP officials carry out traffic checks on major highways leading away from the border to detect and apprehend unauthorized individuals into the United States and detect illegal narcotics. There are two other federal agencies on the streets: Officials vowed to send at least 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles. So far, they have mainly protected federal buildings. It's unclear how many are now on the ground. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided Thursday to leave troops in Los Angeles in the hands of the Trump administration while California's objections are litigated in federal court. California officials argued the National Guard was not needed. The federal government has also deployed some U.S. Marines to Los Angeles. The U.S. Northern Command, which oversees troops based in the United States, said the Marines will work with National Guard troops under 'Task Force 51' — the military's designation of the Los Angeles forces. The Marines, like the Guard, they said, 'have been trained in de-escalation, crowd control and rules for the use of force.' Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot told The Times earlier this month that the Marines in Los Angeles were limited in their authority, deployed only to defend federal property and federal personnel. They do not have arrest power, he said. Local officials have also opposed having Marines in L.A. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Carney travelling to Europe for security, defence talks with EU, NATO
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney will depart for Europe on Sunday for back-to-back summits where he is expected to make major commitments for Canada on security and defence. Carney will be joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, Defence Minister David McGuinty and secretary of state for defence procurement Stephen Fuhr at the EU and NATO summits, where military procurement and diversifying supply chains will top the agendas. The international meetings come as Canada looks to reduce its defence procurement reliance on the United States due to strained relations over tariffs and President Donald Trump's repeated talk about Canada becoming a U.S. state. Carney will fly first to Brussels, Belgium, starting the trip with a visit to the Antwerp Schoonselhof Military Cemetery where 348 Canadian soldiers are buried. He will also meet with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. At the EU-Canada summit, Anand and McGuinty are expected to sign a security and defence agreement with the EU in what one European official described Friday as one of the most ambitious deals Europe has ever signed with a third country. The agreement will open the door to Canada's participation in the ReArm Europe initiative, allowing Canada to access a 150-billion-euro loan program for defence procurement, called Security Action for Europe. An EU official briefing reporters on Friday said once the procurement deal is in place, Canada will have to negotiate a bilateral agreement with the European Commission to begin discussions with member states about procurement opportunities. A Canadian official briefing reporters on the summit Saturday said the initial agreement will allow for Canada's participation in some joint procurement projects. However, a second agreement will be needed to allow Canadian companies to bid. At the EU-Canada summit, leaders are also expected to issue a joint statement to underscore a willingness for continued pressure on Russia, including through further sanctions, and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. After Brussels, Carney heads to The Hague in the Netherlands for the NATO leaders' summit on Tuesday and Wednesday. There, Carney will meet with the King of the Netherlands and later with leaders of Nordic nations to discuss Arctic and transatlantic security. At the NATO summit, Carney will take part in bilateral meetings with other leaders. The summit agenda includes a social dinner hosted by the king and queen of the Netherlands and a two-and-a-half hour meeting of the North Atlantic Council. NATO allies are expected to debate a plan to hike alliance members' defence spending target to five per cent of national GDP. NATO data shows that in 2024, none of its 32 members spent that much. The Canadian government official who briefed reporters on background says the spending target and its timeline are still up for discussion, though some allies have indicated they would prefer a seven-year timeline while others favour a decade. Canada hasn't hit a five- per- cent defence spending threshhold since the 1950s and hasn't reached the two per cent mark since the late 1980s. NATO says that, based on its estimate of which expenditures count toward the target, Canada spent $41 billion in 2024 on defence, or 1.37 per cent of GDP. That's more than twice what it spent in 2014, when the two per cent target was first set; that year, Canada spent $20.1 billion, or 1.01 per cent of GDP, on defence. In 2014, only three NATO members achieved the two per cent target — the U.S., the U.K., and Greece. In 2025, all members are expected to hit it. Any agreement to adopt a new spending benchmark must be ratified by all 32 NATO member states. Former Canadian ambassador to NATO Kerry Buck told The Canadian Press the condensed agenda is likely meant to 'avoid public rifts among allies,' describing Trump as an 'uncertainty engine.' 'The national security environment has really, really shifted,' Buck said, adding allies next door to Russia face the greatest threats. 'There is a high risk that the U.S. would undercut NATO at a time where all allies are increasingly vulnerable.' Trump has suggested the U.S. might abandon its mutual defence commitment to the alliance if member countries don't ramp up defence spending. 'Whatever we can do to get through this NATO summit with few public rifts between the U.S. and other allies on anything, and satisfy a very long-standing U.S. demand to rebalance defence spending, that will be good for Canada because NATO's good for Canada,' Buck said. Carney has already made two trips to Europe this year — the first to London and Paris to meet with European allies and the second to Rome to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2025.
