There have been several interesting Canadian stories trending nationally and internationally recently. Here are some of the more interesting ones:
#1 Trudeau Calls on Federal Leaders to Push Back against Aggressive Harassment of Politicians
As published in Canada News Media — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging Canadian political leaders to stand up against acts of aggression against politicians. Trudeau’s appeal comes after Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was angrily confronted at a stop at the city hall in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
In a viral video, a man aggressively follows the Deputy Prime Minister while using sexist language.
Politicians quickly condemned the act, including Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who called the incident “reprehensible.”
In response to the incident, Freeland says Albertans are kind and decent people. She also feels that it’s wrong to let one incident outshine a tour that has otherwise gone smoothly, “One unpleasant incident does not in any way overshadow the warmth of the welcome that I have received.”
The RCMP is investigating the incident and deciding if charges should be laid.
#2 Canada Set for Unprecedented Home Price Drop
After the Canadian Central Bank raised interest rates to control inflation, the housing market experienced a cooling effect. The increasing interest rates forced mortgage rates to shoot up, negatively impacting home sales.
Experts have been undecided on the long-term ramifications of these changes. While some believe that the housing market will soon recover due to steady demand from newcomers to the country, others say that the Canadian housing bubble is due to burst.
A trending TD Bank report says that the average home price will fall between 20 and 25 percent from its peak in early 2022 by the first quarter of 2023. Such a decline would be historical — not seen since the late 1980s. But it comes after a rapid rise due to the pandemic.
TD economist Rishi Sondhi says, “Our forecasted decline in national home prices would only partially retrace the 46 percent run-up over the course of the pandemic.”
#3 Canadian Agent May Have Smuggled Three UK Schoolgirls into Syria
Canadian news is rarely this controversial — A BBC investigation claims that Shamima Begum, the British schoolgirl who fled the United Kingdom to join the extremist Islamic State group in Syria with two friends, was smuggled by a Canadian intelligence operative.
If true, this accusation raises several ethical concerns. A Canadian ally trafficking British children into a war zone is not a good look for the country. The international incident will certainly impact The Five Eyes, an intelligence alliance consisting of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters he would “look at” the accusations. While defending the Canadian intelligence services as essential “in a very dangerous world,” he also said that he expected them to follow the rules.
“Every step of the way, they are bound by strict rules by principles and values that Canadians hold dear, including around the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and we expect that those rules be followed.”
“I know there are questions about certain incidents or operations of the past, and we will ensure to follow up on this,” he promised.
These are three of the top trending Canadian news stories. Keep checking these pages for more interesting news.
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