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Trudeau sought U.S. help to release two Canadians after Trump hinted he might use Meng’s extradition as a bargaining chip, official says

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OTTAWA—The Trudeau government asked the Trump administration to ensure China releases two detained Canadian men if — as U.S. President Donald Trump suggested last month — the U.S. drops Meng Wanzhou’s extradition request as part of negotiations for a trade deal with China, the Star has learned.

A senior Canadian official speaking on condition of anonymity told the Star that the Trudeau government approached the Americans after Trump said in December he wouldn’t hesitate to intervene in the Meng affair if he could secure a better trade or security deal with China.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who spoke directly with Trump, and other officials in their dealings with the Americans, made it clear that if the U.S. was indeed going to use Meng’s extradition as a bargaining chip, the U.S. needed to make sure that the two Canadians who were taken in retaliation by China are released, according to the senior official who had knowledge of the talks.

The insider said the American side agreed the two detained Canadians should be released, but no one in the administration admitted Meng is a pawn in a larger dispute, and the Canadian government still does not know for sure whether Trump was serious or was just trying to put the Chinese off-guard, the source said.

In fact, “some kind of deal with China” was one of the possible outcomes to the uproar over Meng’s arrest that Canada’s Ambassador to China John McCallum laid bare in an extraordinary news conference on Tuesday.

McCallum did not misspeak when he said “some kind of deal with China” might be an option.

McCallum told Chinese-language media Tuesday there were three “options” or ways in which the Meng affair could end. Meng, a Huawei executive, was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1.

He said one, Meng could be extradited as the U.S. has requested to face fraud charges, which he said would “not be a happy outcome; two, the U.S. might offer a resolution in the context of its own negotiations with China, or three, she could be released by a Canadian court.

McCallum said: “The second option would be that the United States made some kind of a deal with China, and part of the deal would be that they would no longer seek her extradition. And we would hope, if the U.S. made such a deal, part of the deal would also be to release the two Canadians. So that is an option, but that is more under the control of the United States than it is under the control of Canada.”

It’s that second option that the Canadian official confirmed to the Star was actively pursued by the Trudeau government.

After his remarks in his former riding were revealed to a broad Canadian audience, a storm of criticism erupted, primarily over McCallum’s opining that Meng had “quite good” and “strong arguments” to win her fight against extradition.

He suggested Trump had politicized her arrest, and listed what he saw “strong arguments” for her lawyers to make.

“One, political involvement by comments from Donald Trump in her case; two, there’s an extraterritorial aspect to her case; and three, there’s the issue of Iran sanctions, which are involved in her case, and Canada does not sign onto these Iran sanctions.”

Late Thursday, McCallum apologized in a clear attempt at damage control.

“I regret that my comments with respect to the legal proceedings of Ms. Meng have created confusion. I misspoke.

“These comments do not accurately represent my position on this issue. As the government has consistently made clear, there has been no political involvement in this process.”

He did not, however, offer to resign his position as ambassador and for the second day, Trudeau stood by his envoy when asked if McCallum would be sanctioned or fired.

“Making a change would not help release those Canadians a day sooner,” Trudeau said in New Brunswick.

Trudeau said that remains his government’s priority.

“We will always stay grounded in defence of the rule of law and the integrity of our justice system, which of course includes the capacity for people to defend themselves enthusiastically which will be fully afforded to Ms. Meng and in her rights within the Canadian justice system.”

“Our focus remains making sure that the Canadians arbitrarily detained in China have their rights respected and, indeed, that they have an opportunity to get home as soon as possible.”

The rest of McCallum’s statement reverted to the same message, an indication that in spite of initial claims by government officials that he hadn’t strayed too far off-message, his remarks had become a problem.

His predecessors in the job said he never should have spoken the way he did.

Former ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques said he believed McCallum had stumbled, not shown the restraint a trained diplomat should, and even as a former politician McCallum should have known not to comment on anything before the courts.

“The result of what Mr. McCallum has said, on the one hand, undermines the legal process; it complicates the job of the minster of justice; it could be perceived as an interference in the legal process and it will confirm the Chinese in their thinking that all this is political and they just have to increase the pressure on Canada and Canada will buckle at some point and just put Mrs. Meng on an aircraft and get rid of the problem.”

Yet Saint-Jacques said McCallum should not be fired because “it would be very difficult to replace him at this stage given the poor state of the relationship.”

“We need someone in place, and it would be too risky to start a process to find a replacement. This could take months. And you need someone.”

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a daily press briefing that China had taken note of McCallum’s remarks.

“We believe that anyone with normal judgment could see through the nature of this case,” said Hua, in translated remarks posted to the government’s website.

“We hope that the Canadian side will make the right choice instead of risking endangering itself for other’s gains.”

Trump told Reuters on Dec. 11 that “If I think it’s good for the country, if I think it’s good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made — which is a very important thing — what’s good for national security — I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary,” Trump

U.S. justice officials testifying at a U.S. senate committee denied the Meng case was being used for any political, diplomatic or other ends.

“We follow the facts and we indicate violations of U.S. law. That’s what we’re doing when we bring those cases, and I think it’s very important for other countries to understand that,” said U.S. Assistant Attorney General John Demers.

“We are not a tool of trade when we bring the cases; that’s what we do when we see them through to their conclusion.”

The U.S. Justice Department stated this week it is proceeding with the request and would meet the Jan. 30 deadline to send supporting documents to the Canadian justice department.

Prosecutors in New York want Meng to face fraud charges for allegedly misleading banks in an effort to skirt U.S. sanctions on doing business in Iran.

Her arrest in Canada infuriated China, and was followed days later by the arrests of diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, who remain detained on unspecified allegations of endangering China’s national security.

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

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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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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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