Anglais

Third Canadian citizen detained in China, government says

Published

6 années ago

décembre 19, 2018

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OTTAWA—A third Canadian citizen has been detained in China, the Canadian government has confirmed.

Maegan Graveline, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, issued a statement saying only the government “is aware of a Canadian citizen detained in China.”

She said consular officials are providing assistance to the family, and cited the Privacy Act, refusing to release further information.

But for now, the department is contending there is no reason to believe the case is linked to other recent cases of Canadians detained in China.

The development comes exactly a week after two other Canadians, including a former diplomat, were detained in moves Canada sees as acts of retaliation for the RCMP’s arrest of a Chinese executive at the request of U.S. justice authorities.

After the Dec. 1 arrest of Meng was publicly reported, China — which had threatened Canada with “grave consequences” if she wasn’t released — moved to arrest and detain two Canadian men.

They are former diplomat Michael Kovrig, on leave from Global Affairs to work for a non-governmental organization, and businessman Michael Spavor, who organized trips into North Korea, including for former NBA superstar Dennis Rodman.

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called China’s detention of those two “unacceptable,” while U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went further calling it “unlawful” and demanded their release.

Trudeau said: “China is reacting to the arrest of one of their citizens, but we are being absolutely clear on standing up for our citizens who’ve been detained, trying to figure out why, trying to work with China to demonstrate this is not acceptable,” he said.

The Canadian prime minister took a direct shot at China and the U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested Meng might be released if he could get a better security or trade deal with China. He said Canada will follow the rule of law and due process.

On Monday, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, Hua Chunying, declined to provide further details about the condition of the Canadians or reasons for their detention. The spokesperson repeated the line, uttered last week, that they were detained “on suspicion of engaging in activities that endanger China’s national security.”

On Wednesday, according to a transcript posted by the Chinese government, Hua was asked about the third arrest, that had just recently been reported in Canada, but said she was “not aware of the situation.”

Canada’s ambassador to China, John McCallum, has been allowed one consular visit to the other two men.

The developments have given pause to professionals who travel to China. Said Stephen Nagy, Fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) and Senior Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the International Christian University, Tokyo: “Frankly, I go to China frequently for research, conferences and to bring students to train them in international relations and about China.

“I am seriously reconsidering as it could impact me and my students.

“This will impact the essential scholarly, business and academic exchanges … plus … dealing with authoritarian China. This will decrease our ability to trade, prevent conflict and build long-term stable relations.

“The third arrest further cements the view that China is employing unorthodox tactics to pressure countries to bend to their political will. It also solidifies the growing consensus that rule by law, not rule of law, is being practiced in China.

“Businesses and scholars should proceed with extreme caution while ordinary travelers and overseas students should make themselves literate on the trajectory of Canada-China relations.

“It’s my view that China will squeeze U.S. friends and allies, such as Canada, Australia and others, as the reality of the divide of the U.S.-China trade war pause becomes much more apparent in the weeks and months ahead.”

Even before the latest arrest, some travellers were anxious about going to China. Louis-Philippe Rochon, a Laurentian University economics professor who was in China last week on an official academic exchange visa, says that after Meng was arrested, he decided to cut his trip to Beijing short mid-week, and returned to Canada four days early.

He tweeted that he was “uncomfortable,” and later told the Star via email that he felt “uneasy,” because it was “quite clear the arrest of Meng Wanzhou angered the Chinese people.”

He said grad students assigned to show him around told him Canada’s arrest of the Huawei chief financial officer was the only thing people were talking about. He said, at one point, the students suggested leaving a restaurant where it was “very clear patrons were annoyed with me there. Granted, no one knew I was Canadian, but the presence of a white guy made them wonder if I were.”

Rochon said he was nervous because the Chinese government knew exactly “where I was, since you have to give your passports to the hotel, and they copy it along with your visa. So I felt, at that point, I should leave.”

“As an academic, I have often read stories of scientists, academics, scholars, aid workers being the target of arrest,” Rochon told the Star in an email.

At a hotel compound in Beijing full of other academics and foreign students, Rochon said he met five or six other Canadians “and the general feeling was that they were also uneasy,” adding the whole group felt they hadn’t heard strongly supportive statements from the federal government in the Canadian press.

“It is the unpredictability of the regime that scared me, certainly. Had I been anywhere in Europe, or, indeed, in many or most Latin American countries, it would have been fine; but in a country with a history of human rights abuses, the uncertainty of knowing that something could happen, just made me personally unhinged.”

As of Tuesday, the Canadian government had not escalated any travel warnings for Canadians travelling to or within China. But it is urging citizens exercise a high degree of caution in areas where there might be isolated acts of violence, protests or bombings. It’s a warning that has been unchanged since Nov. 23.

—with files from Joanna Chiu

Tonda MacCharles is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics. Follow her on Twitter: @tondamacc

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

Published

3 années ago

août 10, 2021

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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

Published

3 années ago

juillet 23, 2021

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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

Published

3 années ago

juillet 23, 2021

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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.