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Michael Kovrig’s employer still confident in Trudeau government post-McCallum firing – National

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The employer of a Canadian man detained in China expressed confidence Sunday in the Trudeau government following the firing of ambassador John McCallum, a positive glimmer in an otherwise grim post-mortem on Sino-Canada relations.


READ MORE:
McCallum’s comments ‘unhelpful’ in securing release of Canadians detained in China: Mendocino

The support came as the government faces a mixed assessment of the fallout of being caught in a trade war between two global giants – the United States and China. The Liberals will also be facing the sharpened political knives of their Conservative and NDP opponents when the House of Commons resumes on Monday for its first sitting in a pivotal election year.

McCallum was replaced by his number two in Beijing, a career diplomat who is viewed in some quarters as everything the former Liberal cabinet minister turned out not to be – a circumspect, by-the-book envoy who knows how to navigate Asian politics while keeping his mouth shut in public.

Jim Nickel, who was McCallum’s deputy at the Canadian embassy in Beijing, was put in charge of the mission in China as charge d’affaires. His first order of business will be to continue to push for the freedom of two high-profile Canadian detainees and trying to get a third imprisoned Canadian off death row.

WATCH: Government explains firing of Canada’s Ambassador to China






A spokesman for the International Crisis Group, where Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig was working on a leave of absence, said it has confidence in the way in which the government is trying to win his release.

“We’re in close contact with the Canadian authorities. We trust them to pursue the best strategy to secure the release of Michael Kovrig,” Karim Lebhour, spokesman for the International Crisis Group, told The Canadian Press on Sunday.

The organization isn’t commenting further because it doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize Kovrig, who was arrested more than a month ago along with Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor on vague suspicions of violating Chinese national security.


READ MORE:
McCallum out as Canadian ambassador to China after comments on Meng extradition

The arrests came after Canada detained Meng Wanzhou, a top Huawei executive, on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States, which wants to extradite her on fraud charges.

McCallum opined twice last week on the Meng case, even though he apologized for misspeaking the first time, sowing further chaos in Canada’s relations with China, and raising concerns about the government’s efforts to win the release of Spavor and Kovrig.

McCallum was fired after he told the newspaper StarMetro Vancouver it would be “great for Canada” if the United States dropped its extradition request for Meng.

WATCH: China’s Ambassador to Canada should be removed: Robertson






There were mixed assessments Sunday of the damage caused by McCallum’s remarks, but Nickel, who is now Canada’s interim representative in Beijing, was viewed as a solid bet to undertake the diplomatic repair job that must now take place.

Having a career diplomat at the helm in China instead of a former politician is a better bet, said Fen Hampson, the head of the global security program at the Centre for Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont.

“The role of an ambassador is to convey messages from your government, not to write the script or go off script as McCallum did,” said Hampson, also a professor at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, where Nickel graduated in the late 1980s.


READ MORE:
McCallum’s firing an opportunity to ‘reset’ relations with China: former diplomat

Hampson described Nickel as a “smart career diplomat who knows exactly what his brief is, and he will not vary from it one inch. He is rock solid in that sense.” He is also highly skilled in Asian diplomacy.

Nickel did not respond to an interview request from The Canadian Press on Sunday.

News of McCallum’s firing was not well received in China, said Lynette Ong, an associate professor with the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Ong said McCallum was viewed as a friend to China even before he came up with several arguments he thought could help Meng’s legal fight against extradition. She’s not sure whether Nickel will be seen the same way.

WATCH: McCallum admits he “misspoke” on Meng Wanzhou extradition case






She pointed to an editorial in the government-owned China Daily newspaper, which praised McCallum’s comments about the Meng file.

“Although what he said is 100 per cent true, his words seem to have fallen on deaf ears at home. Those who had attacked McCallum should feel ashamed of themselves,” the editorial reads.

“Trudeau’s firing of the ambassador shows how sensitive Ottawa is to the pickle it has got itself into at the behest of the U.S.”

McCallum’s firing complicates Canada’s efforts to win the early release of the detainees, said Yves Tiberghien, director emeritus at the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia.


READ MORE:
Huawei CFO has ‘strong’ case that Donald Trump politicized her arrest: McCallum

“One thing that he had achieved was gaining some trust from the Chinese side, which is critical for a diplomat,” said Tiberghien. “We are back to square one on this.”

Roland Paris, a University of Ottawa professor who was Trudeau’s first foreign policy adviser, said the damage caused by McCallum will be limited and could “even strengthen Canada’s position because it demonstrated the government’s resolve. It’s important not to give Beijing any reason to believe that its pressure tactics are working or will work.”

But he said the government needs to quickly appoint a new ambassador to keep the focus on helping the detainees.

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Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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