In the news today: Vancouver man worries for family as Israeli airstrikes target Gaza

His family of 11, including his parents, who are in their 70s, are living in a home in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, where they work as farmers.

A deluge of Israeli airstrikes Tuesday on a refugee camp near Gaza City demolished apartment buildings, while ground troops battled Hamas militants across northern Gaza.

Convoy trial continues with testimony of police witnesses

The testimony of police liaison officers is set to continue in the trial of two high-profile “Freedom Convoy” organizers today.

Sgt. Jordan Blonde, who described himself as the “secondary” police contact to Chris Barber, will resume his testimony, and is expected to be cross-examined by defence lawyers.

Barber and Tamara Lich face multiple charges including mischief, counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation in relation to the 2022 protests against COVID-19 public-health measures.

Here’s what else we’re watching …

Poilievre’s Tories maintain lead in new poll

A new survey says the Conservative party is maintaining a steady lead over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.

Forty per cent of respondents said they would vote for the Tories if a federal election were held today, compared to 26 per cent who said they would vote Liberal and 17 per cent who would vote N-D-P.

Polling firm Leger asked just over 16-hundred Canadians for their political leanings from Friday to Sunday in a web survey.

China critic says he’s the target of ‘spamouflage’

A B-C-based critic of China’s government says he’s the target of a so-called “spamouflage” campaign, involving deepfake videos that appear to show him making unfounded accusations about Canadian politicians and their private lives.

But Liu Xin, who has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, says he never made the remarks, and he believes the videos are part of a Chinese campaign to undermine him.

An Australian security think-tank analyzed the videos and says they were made with the help of artificial intelligence in an apparent effort by China to get Canadian politicians to distance themselves from Liu and damage his reputation.

Fines, jail possible for not remitting carbon tax

Saskatchewan’s natural gas utility could face hefty fines for not remitting the carbon tax to the federal government, and its executives may also face jail for failing to do so, federal legislation says.

Premier Scott Moe announced this week that SaskEnergy would not remit the carbon tax on natural gas starting Jan. 1, unless Ottawa exempts the fuel.

Legal professors say if SaskEnergy doesn’t remit the charges, it could face big consequences.

Canadians have more trust in institutions than Americans: survey

A new survey has found that Canadians are more trusting of institutions than Americans — especially when it comes to institutions like elections bodies, the Supreme Court and the police.

But majorities of Canadians say they don’t trust other major institutions, including the House of Commons, the Senate, provincial governments, the media and large corporations.

Polling firm Leger asked just over 16-hundred Canadians and just over a thousand Americans about whether they trust institutions, in a web survey from Friday to Sunday.

Seventy-three per cent of Canadian respondents said they trust the police, making it the most trusted institution in Canada, compared to 59 per cent who trust police in the U.S.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2023.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today: Vancouver man worries for family as Israeli airstrikes target Gaza

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