愛污传媒

World

    • Commonwealth leaders say 'time has come' for discussion on slavery reparations

    Britain's King Charles III, center, delivers a speech during the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa, on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/William West, Pool) Britain's King Charles III, center, delivers a speech during the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa, on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/William West, Pool)
    Share
    APIA, Samoa -

    Commonwealth leaders, ending a week-long summit in Samoa, said on Saturday the time had come for a discussion on whether Britain should commit to reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.

    Slavery and the threat of climate change were major themes for representatives of the 56 countries in the group, most with roots in Britain's empire, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that began in the Pacific Islands nation on Monday.

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose country has long rejected calls for financial compensation for nations affected by slavery, said summit discussions were not "about money."

    On slavery, the leaders said in a joint statement they had "agreed that the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity."

    The push for ex-colonial powers such as Britain to pay reparations or make other amends for slavery and its legacies has gained momentum worldwide, particularly among the Caribbean Community and the African Union.

    The statement also made reference to "blackbirding," a term for people from places including the Pacific Islands being deceived, coerced or kidnapped to work on plantations in Australia and elsewhere.

    Those opposed to reparations say countries should not be held responsible for historical wrongs, while those in support say the legacy of slavery has led to vast and persistent racial inequality.

    The joint statement did not mention what form reparations should take.

    Starmer told a press conference the joint statement did two things: "It notes calls for discussion and it agrees that this is the time for a conversation."

    "But I should be really clear here, in the two days we've been here, none of the discussions have been about money. Our position is very, very clear in relation to that," he said.

    Professor Kingsley Abbott, director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, said the statement was a sign of a potentially historic breakthrough on the issue.

    "The commitment to conversations on reparatory justice wedges open the door for dialog, and now the hard work really begins," said Abbott, who attended the summit.

    The joint statement also referred to concern about "the severe consequences of the climate crisis, including rising temperatures and sea levels."

    In a boost for Pacific Islands such as Tuvalu under threat from rising seas, they issued the Commonwealth's first Oceans Declaration, affirming that a nation's maritime boundaries should remain fixed even if climate change causes small island states to be submerged.

    Fixing maritime boundaries means atoll nations can continue to reap the economic benefit of vast fishing grounds, even if populations must migrate as dry land area is significantly reduced. The declaration bolsters momentum for international law to recognize the perpetual statehood of sinking island states.

    More than half of the Commonwealth's members are small nations, many of them low-lying islands at risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change.

    New Chief

    The Commonwealth members selected Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as the group's new secretary-general. Botchwey, a supporter of reparations for transatlantic slavery and colonialism, takes over from Britain's Patricia Scotland, who has been in the job since 2016.

    King Charles and Queen Camilla, who both attended the summit, flew out of Samoa after a visit in which the monarch acknowledged the Commonwealth's "painful" history.

    Before leaving, the royal pair attended a farewell ceremony in heavy rain in the village of Siumu.

    Charles said in a speech to the summit on Friday that he understood "from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate." "It is vital, therefore, that we understand our history, to guide us towards making the right choices in future," he said.

    The king and queen's time in Samoa followed a six-day tour of Australia, where a large crowd turned out to see them at the Sydney Opera House. Charles also met with Indigenous elders in Sydney, after being heckled by an Indigenous senator in Canberra.

    (Reporting by James Redmayne in Apia, Sam McKeith and Cordelia Hsu in Sydney, and Catarina Demony and William James in London; Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Lincoln Feast and William Mallard)

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Elections BC released its first partial results of the final count in B.C.'s 2024 provincial election Saturday afternoon, and the data shows NDP candidates gaining in some tight races.

    Ontario Provincial Police say a 16-year-old person has been charged with second-degree murder after a 15-year-old was found dead at a home in Perth, Ont. Friday afternoon.

    Angela Salvatore had been away from her father's hospital bedside for just over an hour when she says she got a frantic call from a nurse, pleading with her to calm him down.

    A veteran Ottawa journalist is firing back against what he says are "entirely false" claims by a former Conservative cabinet minister that he acted as a Russian agent.

    Canadian Ryan James Wedding finished in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, but the snowboarder wouldn鈥檛 go on to improve his results in Torino four years later.

    The mystery of a 100-year-old letter sent from Manitoba to Ireland is slowly unraveling thanks to the work of one amateur sleuth.

    Canada

    • Ontario Provincial Police say a 16-year-old person has been charged with second-degree murder after a 15-year-old was found dead at a home in Perth, Ont. Friday afternoon.

    • The mystery of a 100-year-old letter sent from Manitoba to Ireland is slowly unraveling thanks to the work of one amateur sleuth.

    • Canadian Ryan James Wedding finished in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, but the snowboarder wouldn鈥檛 go on to improve his results in Torino four years later.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Former Chicago Blackhawks star and Hall of Fame hockey executive Bill Hay, who was also a past president and CEO of the Calgary Flames, has died. He was 88.

    • Stuart Skinner made 27 saves for his fifth career shutout and Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm each had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers snapped a two-game losing skid with a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    • Elections BC released its first partial results of the final count in B.C.'s 2024 provincial election Saturday afternoon, and the data shows NDP candidates gaining in some tight races.

    • Three people have suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries following a stabbing at a New Westminster casino in the early hours of Saturday morning.

    • Work crews were called to deal with a barge that appeared to be stuck near the shore of the Fraser River in Langley Saturday morning.

    • Canadian Ryan James Wedding finished in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, but the snowboarder wouldn鈥檛 go on to improve his results in Torino four years later.

    • Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.

    • Seneca Polytechnic says it is temporarily closing one of its campuses north of Toronto because of the federal government's recent cuts to the number of international student permits.

    • Mr. Steam got its online business listing back.

    • More than 100 volunteers gathered Saturday morning to set up 3,605 crosses in a field along Memorial Drive, each representing the life of a southern Alberta soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

    • Friday鈥檚 Calgary Philharmonic orchestra rehearsal was simply adorable, although it had nothing to do with the musicians.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say a 16-year-old person has been charged with second-degree murder after a 15-year-old was found dead at a home in Perth, Ont. Friday afternoon.

    • A former CTV Ottawa broadcaster is headlining an art gallery with landscape paintings this weekend.

    • A veteran Ottawa journalist is firing back against what he says are "entirely false" claims by a former Conservative cabinet minister that he acted as a Russian agent.

    • Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating an alleged case of voyeurism on the metro involving an 18-year-old woman, with video footage of the incident now circulating on social media

    • CAA Quebec hosted a child car seat safety check in Laval to promote the importance of proper installation and prevent potential tragedies on the road.

    • Steve Begin is back at school, speaking to students. A place the former Montreal Canadien says was difficult for him growing up.

    • RCMP are looking for a man they believe is armed and dangerous in the Lac La Biche area.

    • Rural water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure is in need of significant investment to address poor conditions, says a new report from Rural Municipalities of Alberta.

    • A former Alberta teacher has been sentenced to four years for sexually abusing a student.

    • Hundreds of people got dressed up Saturday for an afternoon of trick-or-treating in East Chezzetcook, N.S., during the fourth annual 鈥楬alloween Trick or Treat on the Trail Walk.鈥

    • The GoFundMe page for the family of an employee found dead at a Halifax Walmart last weekend has paused donations after almost $200,000 was raised in roughly 24 hours.

    • This weekend brings Menahqesk PowWow 2024 to Saint John, N.B., the first traditional powwow to be held in the city.

    • Winnipeg police have arrested and charged a man believed to be connected with an assault at a University of Manitoba dorm room.

    • The mystery of a 100-year-old letter sent from Manitoba to Ireland is slowly unraveling thanks to the work of one amateur sleuth.

    • Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews were busy Friday and early Saturday morning, battling three separate fires believed to be caused by accident.

    • Saskatchewan was one of the regions that experienced one of the hottest heat waves in Canada this summer, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

    • With mere days until votes are counted up 鈥 the provincial party leaders have entered the final phase of campaigning and are looking to appeal to undecided voters for support.

    • Saturday will mark the end of the CFL regular season, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will have their eyes on Winnipeg鈥檚 matchup versus Montreal to know if they have a chance of clinching the West Division.

    • Police are investigating after a Guelph home was broken into early Saturday morning.

    • Fire crews responded to a fire at a Waterloo waste management site Friday evening.

    • All the evidence has now been called at the trial of Erick Buhr, who has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder in the death of his grandmother, Viola Erb.

    • Saskatoon fire crews responded to a major house fire on the 400 block of 24th Street West on Friday evening.

    • Saskatchewan was one of the regions that experienced one of the hottest heat waves in Canada this summer, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

    • A Saskatchewan woman is worried her child might die before receiving life-saving surgery and tests as he sits on the province's surgical waitlist.

    • Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.

    • The Town of Cochrane plans to roll out its $10-lot program in a month or two.

    • Ontario Provincial Police have been cleared in the case of a woman who crashed her vehicle intentionally while she was high on drugs and fled into the woods earlier this year.

    • London police say they鈥檝e arrested a man allegedly responsible for a number of non-fatal overdoses that prompted a safety warning Friday afternoon.

    • Cornelius Woelke and his two boys, who were badly burned in a fire in Springfield, Ont., are continuing their recovery in hospital.

    • Alongside a panel of industry experts, Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles joined MPP Terence Kernaghan to discuss hot button topics leading up to a possible election.

    • Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.

    • A commercial truck driver was stopped for allegedly travelling nearly twice the speed limit through a community safe zone in Caledon Saturday morning.

    • Several students have been banned from being spectators at school sporting events, and others suspended from school, after verbal and physical exchanges at a high school soccer game.

    • Windsor police say the death of a 69-year-old man has been ruled a homicide.

    • A U.S. citizen was arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Gorder Howe International Bridge on Oct. 18 for an active warrant for possession of synthetic drugs.

    • Witches and dinosaurs walked the Downtown Windsor Farmers鈥 Market Saturday morning in search of an early Halloween treat.

    • Elections BC released its first partial results of the final count in B.C.'s 2024 provincial election Saturday afternoon, and the data shows NDP candidates gaining in some tight races.

    • There were tense moments at a ferry terminal outside Victoria, B.C., on Friday after the lion鈥檚 share of standby spots on an early sailing were claimed by 鈥渁ssured loading鈥 passengers 鈥 leaving regular customers who had been waiting for hours out of luck.

    • Hulitan Early Years Centre is a brand new, 48-seat childhood learning centre in Colwood. It was built to support Indigenous children throughout the capital region.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • The Hurricanes will be happy to be back home in Lethbridge Saturday night after losing their third in a row on the road Friday night, a 4-1 decision to the Broncos in Swift Current.

    • About 15,000 students are enrolled at Lethbridge鈥檚 post-secondary schools, and now the city is working with those schools to try to find ways to get them s to stick around a while.

    • With Halloween less than a week away, organizations in Lethbridge are preparing to get in on the trick-or-treating fun.

    • Ontario Provincial Police have been cleared in the case of a woman who crashed her vehicle intentionally while she was high on drugs and fled into the woods earlier this year.

    • The union that represents hospital workers across the province is used a symbol from Greek mythology Friday in Espanola to drive home its campaign about the perils of privatization in health care.

    • CTV's Coats for Kids is nearing the end of its donation window, with the need as strong as it鈥檚 ever been.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒