More than 1,000 passengers have left Lebanon on flights booked by Canada, GAC says

OTTAWA – Global Affairs Canada says it has now helped more than 1,000 passengers leave Lebanon as the conflict between Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah intensifies.

The department says one flight on Saturday open to Canadians in Lebanon carried 126 passengers, and another on Sunday carried 139 out of the country.

The department continues to urge Canadians to flee Lebanon, and says it has offered flights in the past week to more than 5,000 Canadians, permanent residents and immediate family members who have expressed an interest in leaving.

It says the passengers it has helped include Canadians, permanent residents and immediate family members, as well as nationals from countries including the U.S., Argentina, Australia among several others.

It says as of Sunday, there were more than 25,000 Canadians registered as being in Lebanon, but Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has said some 45,000 Canadians could be in the country.

The department says commercial flights continue to be available to a range of destinations, with departures in the coming days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2024.

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SURREY, B.C. – NDP Leader David Eby is promising to support police in British Columbia in their work to keep illegal guns off the streets and protect communities.

Eby, speaking while flanked by four New Democrat candidates with law enforcement experience at a news conference in Surrey, says he will ensure police have the tools to keep illegal guns from criminal organizations and protect families from potentially deadly domestic violence.

He says the NDP will continue to support the federal hand-gun and semi-automatic weapons seizure law and continue to back B.C. police anti-gang programs, including the Integrated Gang Homicide Team, which focuses on gang-connected homicides and improving police surveillance of gang activities.

Eby says B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad has repeatedly stated he would direct police not to enforce federal gun laws if elected to form government on Oct. 19.

He says Rustad’s policy, if enforced, will make B.C. “less safe.”

The NDP says domestic homicides account for 15 per cent of all murders in B.C.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2024.

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OTTAWA – Justin Trudeau will travel to Laos later this week for the ASEAN summit, marking what his office says will be the first official visit of a Canadian prime minister to the Southeast Asian country.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings will take place in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on Thursday and Friday, after which the PMO says Trudeau will attend the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany.

The ASEAN bloc and Canada have pledged to ink a trade agreement by the end of 2025, and Canada entered a strategic partnership with the 10-member organization of Southeast Asian countries last year.

While work towards a trade agreement continues, Trudeau’s office says he will also meet with partners at the ASEAN-Canada Special Summit where he will emphasize Canada’s role in addressing new and emerging challenges to peace and security, including cybercrime.

The prime minister’s office says ASEAN, as a regional bloc, represents Canada’s fourth-largest trading partner, with over $38.8 billion in bilateral trade in 2023.

His office says Trudeau “will work to advance shared interests and forge even stronger ties” between Canada and Laos as the two countries mark 50 years of bilateral relations this year.

“Shared challenges require shared solutions — that’s what the ASEAN Summit and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group are all about,” Trudeau said in a news release about the upcoming meetings.

“Whether it’s fighting climate change, creating good-paying jobs, or strengthening democracy, Canada is playing a leadership role in creating a better, safer, and fairer future for people across the world.”

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Germany will take place Saturday and will be hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.

The PMO said Trudeau will highlight the importance of addressing Ukraine’s immediate economic, defence and security needs, including the provision of military equipment, security assistance and training.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2024.

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