cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7936557

Canada can protect rules-based international trade and resist pressure from superpowers by working more with the Americas, shoring up supply chains and strengthening economic ties, Costa Rica’s trade minister said on a recent visit to Ottawa.

“We share the same vision of the type of world that we would like to live in,” Manuel Tovar Rivera said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “Canada has enormous opportunities in our hemisphere.”

Costa Rica is on track to become the first Central American state to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, a trading bloc of 12 countries across the Pacific Rim, North and South America that will soon include the U.K.

...

Costa Rica, a country of just five million roughly the size of Nova Scotia, is an important partner for Ottawa on initiatives like feminist approaches to economic growth and promoting anticorruption practices.

In 2021, with Canada’s support, Costa Rica became the first Central American country to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, a group of 38 rich democracies. The country is powered almost entirely by renewables and hydroelectricity.

Costa Rica’s move to join the CPTPP bloc might expand trade with Canada in services, investment and government procurement, which were not part of the bilateral agreement both countries signed in 2002.

That could mean more Canadian exports of wheat and sugar to Costa Rica, according to an industry consultation led by Ottawa. It could also lead to a boost in Canadian tourism.

But joining the bloc is also about trying to uphold global rules-based systems, Tovar Rivera said.

...

The Canadian Council for the Americas made the same point last November in a report that urged Ottawa to seize on the economic and diplomatic potential of South and Central America, largely by using existing relationships and trade deals.

The report said that requires a shift beyond thinking of Latin America as a group of commodity markets, and demands instead a focus on building processing capacity for agricultural goods, selling Canadian expertise in cybersecurity and beefing up policing at Canadian ports used to traffic narcotics.

...

Canada can protect rules-based international trade and resist pressure from superpowers by working more with the Americas, shoring up supply chains and strengthening economic ties, Costa Rica’s trade minister said on a recent visit to Ottawa.

“We share the same vision of the type of world that we would like to live in,” Manuel Tovar Rivera said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “Canada has enormous opportunities in our hemisphere.”

Costa Rica is on track to become the first Central American state to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, a trading bloc of 12 countries across the Pacific Rim, North and South America that will soon include the U.K.

...

Costa Rica, a country of just five million roughly the size of Nova Scotia, is an important partner for Ottawa on initiatives like feminist approaches to economic growth and promoting anticorruption practices.

In 2021, with Canada’s support, Costa Rica became the first Central American country to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, a group of 38 rich democracies. The country is powered almost entirely by renewables and hydroelectricity.

Costa Rica’s move to join the CPTPP bloc might expand trade with Canada in services, investment and government procurement, which were not part of the bilateral agreement both countries signed in 2002.

That could mean more Canadian exports of wheat and sugar to Costa Rica, according to an industry consultation led by Ottawa. It could also lead to a boost in Canadian tourism.

But joining the bloc is also about trying to uphold global rules-based systems, Tovar Rivera said.

...

The Canadian Council for the Americas made the same point last November in a report that urged Ottawa to seize on the economic and diplomatic potential of South and Central America, largely by using existing relationships and trade deals.

The report said that requires a shift beyond thinking of Latin America as a group of commodity markets, and demands instead a focus on building processing capacity for agricultural goods, selling Canadian expertise in cybersecurity and beefing up policing at Canadian ports used to traffic narcotics.

...

It's apparently auto-deleting posts "for profanity" (which ISN'T against community rules according to the sidebar), none of which even contain any!

Donald Trump has described voting by mail as “cheating” at an event in Memphis, Tennessee, just days after casting a mail‑in ballot himself.

“Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating. I call it mail-in cheating, and we got to do something about it all,” the US president said on Monday, in remarks to a roundtable on his administration’s crime taskforce.

Records show Trump voted by mail in the special election for House district 87, which encompasses his Mar-a-Lago golf club, according to the Palm Beach county supervisor of elections website. Trump has endorsed the Republican candidate, Jon Maples, in the race against Democrat Emily Gregory.

Trump chose to mail his ballot even though he has recently been in Palm Beach where early in-person voting was available until Sunday evening.

Rules for thee ...

The other day at work I stumbled upon this bug and thought it was worth to write a blog post about. Spoiler: It has nothing to do with timezones!

TLDR: According to ISO standard 8601 (which is what Python's date.isocalendar().week uses for example), the first week of the year is the week with the first Thursday of the year. So sometimes the first few days of January belong to the last week of previous year, and sometimes the last few days of December belong to the first week of next year :D

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The team behind Arch-based Garuda Linux has issued a statement regarding the controversy surrounding age-verification laws and their impact on Linux distributions, confirming that it will not implement such measures unless legally required.

A Garuda developer stated in a forum post that the distribution is not obligated to comply with laws such as California’s Digital Age Assurance Act, as it operates outside that jurisdiction. The project’s infrastructure is located in Finland and Germany, and contributors adhere to their local laws. Therefore, Garuda does not consider itself subject to U.S. state-level legislation.

“Garuda Linux will not implement any age verification measures, since Garuda Linux’s legal jurisdictions have no laws mandating age verification.”

The statement adds that authorities in regions like California should restrict access locally, rather than expect global compliance from projects without a legal presence there.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7936557

Canada can protect rules-based international trade and resist pressure from superpowers by working more with the Americas, shoring up supply chains and strengthening economic ties, Costa Rica’s trade minister said on a recent visit to Ottawa.

“We share the same vision of the type of world that we would like to live in,” Manuel Tovar Rivera said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “Canada has enormous opportunities in our hemisphere.”

Costa Rica is on track to become the first Central American state to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, a trading bloc of 12 countries across the Pacific Rim, North and South America that will soon include the U.K.

...

Costa Rica, a country of just five million roughly the size of Nova Scotia, is an important partner for Ottawa on initiatives like feminist approaches to economic growth and promoting anticorruption practices.

In 2021, with Canada’s support, Costa Rica became the first Central American country to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, a group of 38 rich democracies. The country is powered almost entirely by renewables and hydroelectricity.

Costa Rica’s move to join the CPTPP bloc might expand trade with Canada in services, investment and government procurement, which were not part of the bilateral agreement both countries signed in 2002.

That could mean more Canadian exports of wheat and sugar to Costa Rica, according to an industry consultation led by Ottawa. It could also lead to a boost in Canadian tourism.

But joining the bloc is also about trying to uphold global rules-based systems, Tovar Rivera said.

...

The Canadian Council for the Americas made the same point last November in a report that urged Ottawa to seize on the economic and diplomatic potential of South and Central America, largely by using existing relationships and trade deals.

The report said that requires a shift beyond thinking of Latin America as a group of commodity markets, and demands instead a focus on building processing capacity for agricultural goods, selling Canadian expertise in cybersecurity and beefing up policing at Canadian ports used to traffic narcotics.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7935698

Archived link

Hong Kong Watch’s Advocacy Officer Landson Chan testified before the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (SDIR) at a hearing titled “Global Impact of Transnational Repression”. This follows Hong Kong Watch’s ongoing advocacy with Canadian parliamentarians on transnational repression targeting the Hong Kong diaspora.

Mr Chan opened his testimony by stating that Hong Kong Watch has documented cases revealing how transnational repression is affecting the Hong Kong diaspora in Canada, including harassment, intimidation, and surveillance. He then detailed select cases, including individuals receiving anonymous threats linked to pro-democracy activities, doxxing of personal and workplace information, and intimidation involving family members. Community leaders and organizers have been targeted with surveillance and threats of physical harm, while even non-activists have faced workplace harassment simply for attending community events.

...

Notably, Joe Tay was targeted during Canada’s 2025 election with online “wanted-style” campaigns and safety threats, while Anna Kwok’s case highlights how repression extends to family members, with her father prosecuted and sentenced in Hong Kong after attempting to cancel her insurance policy following her departure. ...

Despite Canada’s robust legislative response to foreign interference in 2024, including by passing Bill C-70 into law, gaps remain in enforcement and protection, contributing to ongoing concerns about safety, accountability, and foreign interference. Hong Kong Watch urges the Canadian Parliament to adopt a comprehensive approach to transnational repression focused on prevention, protection, and accountability. This includes expediting the foreign influence transparency registry, strengthening protections for high-risk individuals, and implementing diplomatic measures and targeted sanctions against responsible foreign actors.

...

You can watch the full hearing here.

...

As an addition: If you happen to be in Vancouver on Sunday, April 19, 2026, there is public forum examining foreign interference, Canada–China relations, and the future of Hong Kong.

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