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WORLD NEWS Friday 5 May 2023

Canada mulls expelling China diplomat for targeting lawmaker

By ROB GILLIES diately inform lawmakers of
Associated Press any threats against them,
TORONTO (AP) — Cana- regardless of whether those
da’s foreign minister said threats are considered
Thursday the country is credible.
considering the expulsion Canada’s spy agency
of Chinese diplomats over didn’t tell Chong about the
an intelligence agency re- targeting of his family until
port saying one of them this week.
plotted to intimidate the Many governments, the
Hong Kong relatives of a United Nations, and hu-
Canadian lawmaker. man rights groups accuse
Foreign Minister Melanie China of sweeping a million
Joly said her department or more people from its Uy-
was summoning China’s ghur community and other
ambassador to a meeting predominantly Muslim eth-
to underline that Canada nic minority groups into
won’t tolerate such inter- detention camps, where
ference. She said the in- many have said they were
telligence agency report tortured, sexually assault-
indicated that opposition ed, and forced to aban-
Conservative lawmaker don their language and re-
Michael Chong and his Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly addresses the eleventh emergency special session of ligion. China denies the ac-
Hong Kong relatives were the General Assembly, Feb. 22, 2023, at United Nations headquarters. cusations, which are based
targeted after Chong criti- Associated Press on evidence including in-
cized Beijing’s human rights terviews with survivors and
record. jing’s treatment of Uyghur out of Canada. this individual needs to be photos and satellite images
“We’re assessing different Muslims in China’s Xinjiang “It is inexplicable that this sent packing.” from Uyghur’s home prov-
options including the expul- province. diplomat hasn’t been told Prime Minister Justin ince of Xinjiang, a major
sion of diplomats,” Joly said “I cannot imagine the to leave the country al- Trudeau said Wednesday hub for factories and farms
before a Parliament com- shock and concern of ready,” he said. that he had only learned in far western China.
mittee. learning that your loved “If we do not take this of the spy agency report Earlier Thursday in Beijing,
Canada’s spy agency has ones have been targeted course of action we are after a Globe and Mail China’s Foreign Ministry
not released details pub- in this way,” Joly said to basically putting up a giant article on Monday, citing played down allegations of
licly. Chong has said the Chong at the committee billboard for all authoritari- top-secret documents, said China trying to intimidate
report identifies a Toronto- hearing. “There will be con- an states around world that the spy agency had the Chong and his relatives.
based diplomat as being sequences.” says we are open to foreign intelligence. Trudeau has “China is opposed to any
part of the plot. Chong Chong said the diplomat interference targeting Ca- ordered Canada’s intelli- interference in a country’s
has been critical of Bei- should be on the first plane nadian citizens. That’s why gence agencies to imme- internal affairs. q

Israelis block roads in protest against Netanyahu legal plan

By TIA GOLDENBERG presence and their past for “equality,” expanding of the crisis, do not appear swath of Israeli society, in-
Associated Press ability to disrupt the coun- their criticism to the rising to have produced any re- cluding business leaders,
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Is- try over their opposition to cost of living in Israel and sults. the booming tech sector
raelis blocked roads and the overhaul. the military draft exemp- Netanyahu, who is on trial and military reservists, who
demonstrated on Thursday Dozens of protests un- tions granted to most ultra- for corruption, faced a bar- threatened not to show up
against a contentious gov- der waves of Israeli flags Orthodox Jews. Protesters rage of criticism over the for duty if the plan was ap-
ernment plan to overhaul choked off major roads dyed white a pool of wa- legal plan from a broad proved. q
the judiciary, hoping to and intersections in seaside ter in the square of Israel’s
ramp up pressure on law- Tel Aviv, including briefly its national theater in Tel Aviv,
makers after parliament re- main highway. Demonstra- to symbolize a recent milk
convened this week follow- tions took place outside price hike.
ing a month-long recess. the homes of Israel’s cer- The plan to overhaul the
Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- emonial president and the country’s judiciary, ad-
tanyahu paused the over- country’s National Security vanced by Israel’s most
haul in March after intense Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, right-wing government
pressure and the opposing who in exchange for the ever, plunged Israel into
sides are trying to reach a plan being paused de- one of its worst domestic
compromise agreement. manded Netanyahu grant crises, ripping open long-
But in a sign of the mistrust him authority over a new standing societal rifts and
of his intentions, tens of national guard, which crit- creating new ones.
thousands have continued ics say would amount to his While the freeze in the
to protest every Saturday own personal militia. legislation eased tensions
night since. Police said several protest- somewhat, Netanyahu’s
Thursday’s midweek pro- ers were arrested for caus- allies are pushing him to Israelis protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin
test was smaller, but dem- ing disturbances. move ahead on the over- Netanyahu’s government to overhaul the judicial system, in Tel
onstrators are hoping to Protest leaders have billed haul. The talks underway, Aviv, Israel, Thursday, May 4, 2023.
remind legislators of their Thursday’s events a call meant to forge a path out Associated Press