B.C. warns of increasing wildfire risk with the return of hot, dry weather

MONTREAL – A pair of environmental activists who scaled Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge Tuesday morning will remain detained after being charged with mischief and wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

Olivier Huard and Jacob Pirro appeared in court Wednesday, along with a third protester.

The third person, Michèle Lavoie, is facing only a mischief charge, in relation to obstructing, interrupting or interfering with the lawful use of property.

Their lawyer, Barbara Bedont, said all three remain detained pending their next court date on Oct. 31 after the prosecution objected to their release.

Huard and Pirro climbed to the top of the bridge early Tuesday as part of a climate protest, leading police to close one of the main access points onto the island for several hours during the morning rush hour.

The groups Last Generation Canada and Antigone Collective took credit for the protest, demanding an end to fossil fuel extraction and denouncing government inaction on climate change.

The groups urged supporters to rally outside the courthouse Wednesday morning.

Bedont, reached by phone, described the prosecutor’s decision to oppose the activists’ release as “incomprehensible.”

“There’s a long history of civil disobedience leading to very positive changes in our society,” she said, adding that her clients were not violent. “This is an important part of a democratic system.”

Laura Sullivan, a spokesperson for Last Generation Canada, reiterated a call for the protesters’ release, and for the federal government to “commit to ending fossil fuels by 2030.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.

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VANCOUVER – A coalition of Jewish organizations says it is “deeply alarmed” by a rising tide of antisemitism at the University of British Columbia in recent weeks.

A joint statement sent out by six groups, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and Canadian Jewish Advocacy, says Jewish staff, students and faculty members at the university have faced “an increasingly hostile environment” since the start of the academic year.

The statement lists incidents such as campus buildings being vandalized with antisemitic slogans, Jewish faculty members who were targeted by a smear campaign, and an anti-Israel student’s club promoting violence and disinformation.

The statement released Wednesday says they are grateful for ongoing conversations with the university’s administration about the “growing threats” targeting the Jewish community, but more urgent actions are needed to address the hatred and harassment.

The university says in a statement that it is working with the RCMP on one act of vandalism that was reported this month at Green College, where slogans were spray-painted on exterior walls and one window was broken.

UBC spokesman Matthew Ramsey says the vandalism is “unacceptable” and contrary to the university’s values, and any community members found to have been involved in this “will face disciplinary action.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — New rules from the White House on the use of artificial intelligence by U.S. national security and spy agencies aim to balance the technology’s immense promise with the need to protect against its risks.

The rules being announced Thursday are designed to ensure that national security agencies can access the latest and most powerful AI while also mitigating its misuse, according to Biden administration officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

Recent advances in artificial intelligence have been hailed as potentially transformative for a long list of industries and sectors, including military, national security and intelligence. But there are risks to the technology’s use by government, including possibilities it could be harnessed for mass surveillance, cyberattacks or even lethal autonomous devices.

The new policy framework will prohibit certain uses of AI, such as any applications that would violate constitutionally protected civil rights or any system that would automate the deployment of nuclear weapons.

The rules also are designed to promote responsible use of AI by directing national security and spy agencies to use the most advanced systems that also safeguard American values, the officials said.

Other provisions call for improved security of the nation’s computer chip supply chain and direct intelligence agencies to prioritize work to protect the American industry from foreign espionage campaigns.

The guidelines were created following an ambitious executive order signed by President Joe Biden last year that directed federal agencies to create policies for how AI could be used.

Officials said the rules are needed not only to ensure that AI is used responsibly but also to encourage the development of new AI systems and see that the U.S. keeps up with China and other rivals also working to harness the technology’s power.

Lethal autonomous drones, which are capable of taking out an enemy at their own discretion, remain a key concern about the military use of AI. Last year, the U.S. issued a declaration calling for international cooperation on setting standards for autonomous drones.

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