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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Global News dismisses journalist Zahraa Al-Akhrass amid controversy over anti-Israel posts

A Canadian journalist accused of antisemitism by a pro-Israel advocacy group says she was fired for “speaking up about Palestine.”

On October 29, Zahraa Al-Akhrass, who calls herself a “Palestinian journalist,” said on her Instagram that she was fired by Global News. 

“Global’s decision to terminate me for my personal opinions came officially on October 17,” Al-Akhrass, who has been on maternity leave since January, told True North.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Al-Akhrass called Israeli soldiers “racist, brutal occupiers who are hungry for Palestinian blood.”

She wrote in another post that “Zionism is Nazism.”

Furthermore, Al-Akhrass posted social media content appearing to defend Hamas and criticizing Western media, alleged Honest Reporting Canada, a pro-Israel media watchdog group

“You cannot just label one group as terrorist because they refuse to submit to your occupation and expect the whole world to follow your racist narrative,” she wrote in one X post.

Hamas is currently officially listed as a terrorist group by the Government of Canada.

Al-Akhrass also shared a post by a controversial commentator that aimed to downplay Israeli casualties from the Hamas attack, inaccurately suggesting that 50% of those killed were soldiers.

Al-Akhrass has since removed some of the reposts.

“That retweet came well after I was terminated from Global, it has nothing to do with my termination. It’s been brought to my attention that (the initial post’s author) holds views that I want to make clear I don’t share,” said Al-Akhrass.

She added that Global News didn’t single out any individual post but that her overall social media activity combined gave the perception of bias.

The journalist also published a video on Instagram calling the ongoing conflict, “Israel’s genocide of my people.”

In an interview with True North, Al-Akhrass claimed that “what’s happening right now in Gaza is a genocide according to experts and human rights groups.”

The United Nations and international judicial bodies have never concluded that Israel is conducting a genocide. Claims of genocide were most recently levelled against Israel by representives of Islamic nations traditionally opposed to Israel, like Egypt and Iran. 

“Everything I said after my termination shouldn’t be used to justify my termination, including what I said in the video,” said Al-Akhrass.

She said in the video that instead of the organization giving her words of sympathy for what she must be experiencing as a Palestinian, she was met with investigations, reminders about social media policies, and demands to stop posting. 

“Do we matter at all? No one in this workplace would even acknowledge my pain,” Al-Akhrass said.

While taking aim at her former employer, Al-Akhrass questioned whether Global News’ practices were “ethical, moral, humane, diverse, or inclusive.”

“I don’t even know,” she said. 

Honest Reporting Canada claimed Al-Akhrass’ explicit and partisan views on the Israel-Hamas conflict undermine journalistic objectivity and neutrality.

Al-Akhrass responded by saying that those standards of journalism only apply when there’s peace and democracy. She said that journalists operating in the third world operate in an environment that is not stable or democratic. Journalists in these circumstances have an obligation to stand with the oppressed against the oppressive, she said.

“I believe the whole narrative must change in Western newsrooms to adapt to different realities outside the Western world. Unfortunately, I have tried to do so over the years with Global, but you see the result. I was terminated,” said Al-Akhrass.

When contacted, Global News told True North it cannot comment on specific employee matters due to confidentiality.

“However, Global News does not condone violence or discrimination of any kind toward individuals or groups. Commentary by our employees expressing or amplifying violence or discrimination against any group is not condoned and is a violation of our company policies,” a spokesperson for the network told True North.

Global News added that it “respects and welcomes a diversity of views by individuals” but that it “must remain fair and unbiased.”

“Our employees are expected to uphold our ethical codes, including our Journalistic Principles and Practices which limit how personal opinions are shared publicly by journalists,” the spokesperson added.

Al-Akhrass said the firestorm has been difficult, even pushing her to the verge of suicide.

“Might as well go kill myself… Cannot take any more of this…,” she wrote in one comment.

Another Canadian journalist, Yara Jamal of CTV News Atlantic, was also fired for comments denying Israel’s right to exist and organizing an anti-Israel demonstration, Honest Reporting Canada claims.

Coastal GasLink LNG pipeline 100% constructed

In a significant development for Canada’s energy sector, TC Energy Corp. announced on Monday that it has successfully completed the physical construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline. 

Company officials note that the milestone marks a pivotal moment in a project that has been in the works for over a decade.

The Coastal GasLink pipeline, spanning an impressive 670 kilometers from Dawson Creek, BC, to Kitimat, BC, is poised to play a pivotal role in the country’s energy landscape. 

Upon completion, it will deliver natural gas to the LNG Canada project, a joint venture led by Shell. The project’s primary objective is to liquefy and export this natural gas to lucrative Asian markets.

Construction has been a multi-year endeavour involving thousands of workers and contractors. The culmination of these efforts occurred on October 7th near Kitimat, as the final weld was completed. 

While the physical construction is now concluded, TC Energy anticipates that mechanical completion of the pipeline, which includes final testing and documentation, will be achieved by the end of this year.

Once operational, the Coastal GasLink pipeline will serve as a crucial transportation corridor for natural gas. The LNG Canada facility is still under construction and anticipated to be completed by the mid-decade.

Despite their potential benefits, both projects have faced substantial opposition from environmental and Indigenous groups.

Liquified natural gas industry leaders gathered at the LNG 2023 conference earlier this year said there is growing momentum for Canada to take a leading role in supplying the world with the essential energy source.

The ongoing gas deficit in Europe, a result of disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, underscores the increasing long-term demand signaled by Asian and other economies. 

According to Petronas CEO Muhammad Taufik, the “high-quality” LNG produced in Canada is in high demand, and Canada is poised to capitalize on this opportunity. However, he emphasizes that the window of opportunity may close should the Canadian government not rise to the occasion.

“A call-out to our Canadian friends: You do have probably one of the most unique opportunities to be part of the global solution,” said Taufik. 

“You are just naturally positioned to cater to these markets, and I think it would be a huge opportunity lost if we do not pivot to actually respond to those needs.”

The Andrew Lawton Show | Public support for mass immigration plummets

While the World Economic Forum and globalist commentators push for open borders, attendees at the Alliance for Responsibility (ARC) Forum in London, United Kingdom, are more concerned with dismally low birth rates in the west and unfettered mass migration. True North’s Andrew Lawton comes to you live from London after wrapping up Day 2 of the inaugural ARC Forum.

According to a new poll, more Canadians than ever believe the country’s immigration rates are too high. This comes as the Liberal government continues to ramp up immigration targets despite an affordability crisis. The consensus on immigration is changing – not just in Canada, but around in the world.

Plus, the Federal Court has defended Justin Trudeau’s 2020 gun ban in a ruling delivered yesterday. Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights CEO Rod Giltaca joins the show to discuss what this means for gun owners and Canadians as a whole.

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Trudeau gov shuts down Premiers’ request for carbon tax exemptions 

Source: Facebook

On Tuesday, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources dismissed calls for more federal carbon pricing exemptions on home heating.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a three-year pause on the carbon tax for oil heating in homes, a move that predominantly benefits Canadians living in Atlantic Canada.

Homes heated with oil produce higher emissions than natural gas. This has led several premiers to demand Trudeau grant their residents the same exemption for natural gas. 

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also wrote an open letter to Trudeau, asking for federal carbon pricing exemptions on all home heating.

On Monday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said his government would stop collecting the carbon tax from homes heated with natural gas in his province if the Trudeau government did not extend the same exemption it gave to Atlantic Canada, a region known as a voter stronghold for Liberals. 

Moe said the current exemption has resulted in “two classes of taxpayers.”

On Tuesday, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson responded to Moe’s threat by saying, “There will be no more carve-outs coming.” 

Wilkinson added that Moe’s position wasn’t legal under the law. “We expect him to comply with the laws of the land,” he said. “It is a requirement that they collect that or that it be collected in some way.”

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault later told The Globe and Mail, “we won’t be creating other exemptions to carbon pricing.” Guilbeault said that the exemption for home oil heating is a “very particular situation.”

“There’s a number of factors that were taken into account: the price of home-heating oil has climbed three times faster than natural gas, it’s less efficient, it’s more polluting,” said Guilbeault. 

“Some people have said that this would slow down our fight against climate change, quite the opposite. We’re accelerating it. We will be taking out of Canadian residences home-heating oil faster than we would have otherwise.”

Trudeau declined to speak with reporters about further exemptions while entering a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill on Tuesday. 

Federal DEI initiatives failing to improve outcomes for racialized workers: Auditor General

Federal law enforcement agencies tasked with implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives were found to have made little to no progress in improving outcomes for women, Aboriginal peoples, visible minorities, and those with disabilities. 

An audit of six federal organizations responsible for the administration of justice in Canada found that despite the corrective actions taken by these agencies in pursuit of DEI, the experience of “equity-deserving groups” and “racialized” peoples has not improved, and in some cases, has gotten marginally worse.

The Auditor General concluded that the six organizations “took action to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment experienced by racialized employees,” but they “did not do enough to demonstrate progress toward creating an inclusive organizational structure.”

The six law enforcement agencies in question are the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Correctional Services Canada (CSC), the Department of Justice, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC), Public Safety Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). 

Between 2018-2020, survey respondents within the audited organizations indicated that their experience of discrimination within the workplace had not improved.

Within the PPSC, 22% of “racialized” survey respondents indicated that they had experienced racism in 2018 and 22% indicated the same in 2020. The RCMP similarly stagnated, as 12% of “racialized” respondents said that they experienced racism in 2018 as well in 2020.

Public Safety Canada saw an increase in discrimination towards visible minorities from 16%-19% from 2018-2020, as did the Department of Justice from 11%-13% within the same span of time.

Furthermore, from 2020-2022, visible minorities within the CBSA, CSC, RCMP, and Public Safety Canada indicated that they felt less free to report incidents of racism to their higher-ups. Only marginal improvements were found within the Department of Justice and the PPSC.

The audit found all of these organizations besides the RCMP had met the expected estimated number of visible minorities within the organizations measured against the available workforce. However, the audit indicates the disparities within organizational branches and regions, as well as the different jobs and occupations minorities hold compared to their white counterparts.

In light of the killing of the black Minneapolis, Minnesota resident George Floyd, the federal government has committed itself to tackling “systemic racism.”

As a result of Floyd’s death, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau labeled Canada a systemically racist country and fully committed his government to addressing this issue.

In January 2021, the Clerk of the Privy Council issued a “call to action” on DEI and anti-racism within the federal public service.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has voiced opposition against institutions pushing DEI, calling it “garbage” and a “failing industry.”

British Columbia to make Holocaust education mandatory by 2025-26 school year

Source: Facebook

Starting in 2025, British Columbia will make Holocaust education mandatory for all Grade 10 students. 

Premier David Eby said the decision comes in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which has created a “frightening time” for the Jewish community evoking “the history of persecution of Jews.” 

Eby believes a comprehensive education on the Holocaust would help reduce further acts of antisemitism. 

“For our friends and neighbours in the Jewish community, this has been an incredibly frightening time. We have seen a rise in antisemitism in B.C. following the terrorist attacks in Israel, which evokes the history of persecution of Jews,” said Premier Eby. 

“Combatting this kind of hate begins with learning from the darkest parts of our history, so the same horrors are never repeated. That’s why we are working with the Jewish community to make sure learning about the Holocaust becomes a requirement for all high school students.”

Executive director of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, Nina Krieger, said Eby’s announcement has come during a time when antisemitism is on the rise internationally and the remaining Holocaust survivors are passing away.

“Teaching and learning about the Holocaust contributes to a more cohesive and inclusive society, where dignity and rights of all people are valued,” Krieger told CBC in an interview.

The changes will take effect in the 2025-26 school year, according to Eby, but first the province will consult with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and several other groups.

“While many students learn about the Holocaust, there is more work to do to ensure all students graduate with an understanding about this topic,” reads a press release from the Government of British Columbia.  

“According to a study commissioned by the Canadian charity Liberation75 last year, a third of North American students surveyed believe the Holocaust was either exaggerated or fabricated. Incidents of antisemitism have been on the rise across B.C. in recent years, including a surge in violent incidents.”

The decision to make Holocaust education mandatory learning in the curriculum comes after a synagogue was recently vandalized in Surrey, B.C. Vancouver police are also investigating an incident that took place at a Jewish restaurant in the West End where hateful comments were made. 

Trudeau appoints former Liberal MP and long-time donor to “independent” senate seats

Source: Liberal.ca / Senate of Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed five individuals to vacant “independent senator” spots, including one former Liberal MP and a Liberal MLA who is a long-time party donor. 

Chief among the appointments was former Cape Breton – Canso MP Rodger Cuzner. Cuzner had served with the federal Liberals from 2000 to 2019 and was the Parliamentary Secretary for Employment, Workforce Development and Labour under Trudeau.

The statement announcing Cuzner’s appointment makes no explicit mention of his Liberal ties and only refers to him as a “former parliamentarian.” 

“Rodger Cuzner is a former parliamentarian. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 2000, and represented his home province of Nova Scotia for 19 years while serving in various roles, including Parliamentary Secretary to former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Most recently, he served as Consul General of Canada in Boston, United States of America, from 2020 to 2023,” the statement reads. 

Appointee, former New Maryland MLA Joan Kingston also served under the New Brunswick Liberal Association banner for one term from 1995 to 1999. 

She was appointed by Trudeau alongside John McNair and Krista Ross to fill two Senate vacancies for New Brunswick. Rejean Aucoin and Rodger Cuzner were appointed for two Nova Scotia spots. 

Additionally, Kingston has a decade-long history of regularly donating to the federal Liberal Party of Canada, including donations to Trudeau’s leadership campaign in 2013. 

Elections Canada records show that Kingston contributed $100 to Trudeau’s leadership campaign on December 31, 2012. 

Kingston has also made regular $20 donations to the party on a monthly basis dating all the way back to 2012 with the most recent donation being December 29, 2022.

According to Elections Canada data, the total donations contributed by Kingston add up to $4,930. 

The largest donation by Kingston was $500 towards the Fredericton Federal Liberal Association on July 29, 2020. 

Despite Kingston’s extensive ties to the Liberals, the announcement by Trudeau makes no mention of her role as a Liberal member and party donor. 

“Joan Kingston is a registered nurse and a former member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. During her career in health care and provincial politics, she has been an active advocate for nurses and for community and women’s health. She was most recently a consultant with the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Nursing,” the announcement claimed. 

This is not the first time that Trudeau has come under fire for appointing people close to the federal Liberals to vacant Senate seats.

In 2021, Trudeau appointed Amina Gerba to represent Quebec. Donation records showed that Gerba also made repeat donations to the federal Liberals. 

Scott Moe pledges to axe carbon tax from natural gas heating if Ottawa doesn’t

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said that his government plans to end the carbon tax on natural gas heating after the federal government announced they would put a three-year pause on carbon pricing for oil heating. 

“Today I am calling on the federal government to offer the same carbon tax exemption to Saskatchewan families by extending it to all forms of home heating, not just heating oil. It’s only fair to other Saskatchewan and Canadian families,” said Moe in a video statement.

“Hopefully, that exemption will be provided soon. But if not, effective Jan. 1, SaskEnergy will stop collecting and submitting the carbon tax on natural gas – effectively providing Saskatchewan residents with the very same exemption that the federal government is giving heating oil in Atlantic Canada.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a three-year pause on oil heating in rural areas where it is the sole option last Friday.

“If you live in a rural community, you don’t have the same options that people who live in cities do. We get that,” said Trudeau while making the announcement. “So, this is more money in your pocket to recognize those realities, even as we continue to fight climate change.”

Oil heating is predominantly used in Atlantic Canada, while natural gas heating is more common throughout the rest of Canada. 

Trudeau’s announcement to pause the federal surcharge on oil heating prompted several premiers to demand he do the same in their provinces for homes heated with natural gas. 

“The federal government may say that’s illegal and that you simply cannot choose to collect and pay your tax. In most cases I would agree with that,” said Moe. “But it’s the federal government that’s created two classes of taxpayer by providing an exemption for heating oil – an exemption that really only applies in one part of the country and effectively excludes Saskatchewan.”

Moe said that an exemption for oil but not gas was unjust for residents of Saskatchewan. 

”As premier, it’s my job to ensure Saskatchewan residents are treated fairly and equally with our fellow Canadians in other parts of the country,” he said. “And that’s what I’m doing today.”

In 2021, the Saskatchewan provincial government challenged Ottawa’s federal carbon pricing in the Supreme Court of Canada. However, the court ruled against the province, stating that the tax was constitutional. 

On Monday, the Saskatchewan NDP called for a motion for the federal government to remove carbon pricing on all forms of home heating after Question Period, which passed unanimously.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also wrote an open letter to Trudeau on Monday asking him to extend the pause to all homes heating with natural gas. 

The Daily Brief | Trudeau’s immigration targets aren’t paying off for construction sector

Despite the Trudeau government claiming record-level immigration targets are helping alleviate the housing crisis, the construction sector in Canada is grappling with a severe labour shortage.

Plus, ahead of Remembrance Day, Saskatchewan is promising to pass a law to prevent poppy bans.

And a York University professor is refusing to teach because the university condemned the terrorist group Hamas.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Noah Jarvis.

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CAMPUS WATCH: Laurier says ninja, prisoner Halloween costumes are offensive

Wilfrid Laurier University is advising students against dressing up as ninjas, prisoners or hula dancers for Halloween – claiming that these costumes entail offensive appropriations.

The Instagram account for Laurier’s student residences posted tips on “how to responsibly and respectfully dress up for Halloween this year,” asking students to avoid several costumes because of “cultural appropriation.”

Before picking a costume, students should ask themselves if their costume “makes fun of human traits, identities, cultures, or races [or] represents an identity that isn’t their own… reduces culture, gender, or religion to stereotypes.”

The post also provides an exhaustive list of costumes that students should avoid. This includes costumes of Indigenous peoples or those that make fun of sexual and gendered violence as well as those that depict transgender people. 

Students must also not dress up as ninjas, prison inmates, mentally ill persons in psychiatric facilities, hula dancers or as homeless people. 

“If you’re reading this and thinking, ‘But it’s just a costume’. Take a moment to reflect on why you think that’s the case.” says the post. “It’s likely that your culture and/or identity has not been historically and currently trivialized, mocked, and viewed as ‘funny’ or ‘scary’. It may be viewed as ‘just a joke’ but that joke comes at the real expense of folks’ safety and security.” 

The Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group also runs an annual “I am not a costume” campaign, to “generate dialogue on campus and in the community about various forms of oppression in a critical and proactive way.”

As part of their campaign, the group offers advice for “privileged folks” to not offend on Halloween.

SCREENSHOTS: Graphics offering advice for “privileged folks” to not offend anyone on Halloween.

Students are encouraged to host “equitable” Halloween parties revolving around “a theme that isn’t centered on appropriation.” Students should promote themes “that encourage people taking characters with privileged identities and making them their own, and/or continuing to engage with existing positive representation.”

Those hosting parties should also plan for in case someone arrives wearing “an appropriative costume” – such as asking them to leave or giving them the option to change into another costume. 

As for those triggered by one’s costume, the Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group encourages them to practice “self-care.”

Wilfrid Laurier University did not respond to True North’s request for comment. 

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