BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaInquiry hears of foreign meddling in Canada electionsPublished16 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be testifying before the inquiry on WednesdayBy Nadine YousifBBC NewsA busload full of Chinese high school students coerced into voting for a Liberal candidate. An opaque cash injection of thousands of dollars from China. A proxy agent of India’s government providing illegal financial support to pro-India politicians.These allegations and more surfaced during two weeks of testimony in Canada’s ongoing public inquiry into foreign interference in its elections.The accusations – made by Canada’s spy agency in a series of redacted documents tabled before the inquiry – are to be taken with caution, officials said.The reports may include uncorroborated information that is single-sourced or incomplete, and that has not been properly investigated, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) warned.China and India have repeatedly denied any allegations of interference in Canada’s affairs, with India recently calling them “baseless allegations”. But some politicians have said interference may have affected their political careers.And testimony from members of Canada’s varied diaspora communities shone a light on alleged threats to their safety by agents tied to governments in their home countries.Why is Canada so vulnerable to foreign meddling?The inquiry, led by Quebec judge Marie-Josee Hogue, is hearing from more than 40 community members, politicians and federal election officials before its first report is tabled next month.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to testify on Wednesday. He has said he is “looking forward” to answering questions before the inquiry. Those affected by the alleged meddling efforts have accused officials and CSIS of not doing enough to combat it, or of keeping them in the dark altogether. And Canada’s own spy agency has said the government is not doing enough to tackle the issue, and that the country lags behind its “Five Eyes” intelligence allies – the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.What has the inquiry heard so far?From testimony and partially unsealed classified documents, Canadians have learned some of the ways China and other foreign governments may have attempted to interfere in the last two federal elections, in 2019 and 2022.There is no evidence the results of the election were affected. CSIS has alleged that the Chinese government “clandestinely and deceptively” interfered in both elections. The interference was “pragmatic in nature and focused primarily in supporting those viewed to be either ‘pro-PRC’ or ‘neutral’ on issues of interest to the PRC government,” said a briefing by the agency.”We also observed online and media activities aimed at discouraging Canadians, particularly of Chinese heritage, from supporting the Conservative Party (and former) leader Erin O’Toole,” the briefing note added.Mr O’Toole testified last week that his campaign was marred by a deluge of misinformation that he believes lost his party up to nine seats in the 2021 election.He said that, while the overall result of the election – which his party lost to Mr Trudeau’s Liberals – was not affected, he believes it led to his ouster as leader.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Former federal Conservative leader Erin O’Toole testified that his party may have lost some seats in the 2021 election due to foreign meddlingCSIS reports mentioned a possible C$250,000 ($184,000; £145,300) funneled from the PRC during the 2019 election to an unnamed candidate’s staff member, and then to others, in a meddling attempt.The spy agency also accused China of funding a charter bus in 2019 to send Chinese private high school students to help a Liberal politician, Han Dong, secure his party’s nomination. CSIS suggested that the students were coerced, that “their student visas would be in jeopardy and that there could be consequences for their families back in the PRC” if they did not support Mr Dong.In his testimony, Mr Dong, who now sits as an independent, said he met with Chinese students and encouraged them to register as Liberal members during his campaign. But he denied knowledge of anything nefarious. International students are allowed to vote in Liberal party nominations as long as they can prove they live in the riding (constituency or electoral district). India and Pakistan also were named by CSIS as trying to interfere in both elections.In India’s case, the spy agency said activities were carried out by a proxy agent of the Indian government, and “were centered on a small number of electoral districts” to support pro-India candidates.They were motivated by the perception that “a portion of Indo-Canadian voters were sympathetic to the Khalistani movement or pro-Pakistan political stances,” CSIS reported.Mr Trudeau previously accused India of being involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist who was killed on Canadian soil in June 2023.Meanwhile, Pakistan’s attempted meddling was allegedly “to counter India’s growing global influence,” though it was limited in nature, CSIS reported.According to testimony, while CSIS and other officials knew about these allegations, they didn’t alert the targeted politicians or the public. Mr O’Toole said he raised concerns about meddling during the 2021 election and was not taken seriously. But Mr Trudeau’s national security advisor Nathalie Drouin, who was on a panel of top bureaucrats at the time tasked with reviewing election threats, countered by saying there was not enough proof at the time of China’s activities against the Conservative Party.”There was some risk that any intervention by the panel could create more harm than good,” she said, adding there were fears that it would incite confusion and alarm the public.Related TopicsChinaJustin TrudeauIndiaCanadaMore on this storyUS must work with Canada to stop China meddling – MPPublished13 September 2023Canada launches inquiry into foreign interferencePublished7 September 2023Canada police investigating China meddling claimsPublished13 June 2023Top StoriesWeak evidence and toxic debate letting down gender care children, report saysPublished1 hour agoArizona court reinstates abortion ban law from 1864Published4 hours agoOver 7 million struggling with bills, survey findsPublished1 hour agoFeaturesThe Papers: Major gender care review, and ‘Mr Bates vs thugs in suits’Peter Higgs – the man who changed our view of the UniverseIs this K-drama? 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[ad_1] Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to testify before the ongoing inquiry on Wednesday.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaHow luxury African fashion has wowed Europe’s catwalksPublished6 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Wedaeli ChibelushiBBC NewsLaduma Ngxokolo can pinpoint the exact moment he became a man – and how it inspired his unique sense of fashion.In 2004, he spent a month in the wilderness with a troop of young men from his community – all part of a coming-of-age ritual traditionally observed by South Africa’s Xhosa ethnic group.As per the tradition, Ngxokolo and his fellow initiates were supposed to re-enter society with fresh clothes after their month away.”It was a British-style, gentleman type of look. So your typical look would be a hunter cap or a hat and a jacket,” Ngxokolo tells the BBC.But Ngxokolo decided to fashion his own outfits from scratch, ones more reflective of Xhosa culture.An outlier among his fellow “amakrwala”, as initiates are called, he emerged from boyhood donning “an accent colour around the calf, around the neck, around the chest… and lots of stripes”.Having personally witnessed the lack of Xhosa-inspired high-end clothing companies, Ngxokolo began to develop MaXhosa Africa – a designer brand dominated by knitwear and colourful Xhosa patterns.Image source, AFPImage caption, Laduma Ngxokolo’s designs are rooted in his Xhosa cultureSince then, MaXhosa has been endorsed by Beyoncé, worn by US musician Alicia Keys, featured in Vogue and will be presenting a new collection at Paris Fashion Week on Sunday.And Ngxokolo’s not alone – in recent years several African luxury designers have burst onto the global fashion scene.Since 2019, three South Africans – Thebe Magugu, Lukhanyo Mdingi and Sindiso Khumalo – have bagged the prestigious LVMH Prize for emerging talent. The following year, Beyoncé’s Africa-centred Black Is King film showcased the continent’s leading brands to a Western audience. Vogue has also increasingly been promoting fashion from Africa – in 2022 a cover story shot in Ghana with actress Michaela Coel went viral.Africa “holds all the cards to become one of the next world fashion leaders”, according to a 2023 report from the UN’s cultural body Unesco. Image source, AFPImage caption, Imane Ayissi founded his label in 2004 and his creations have been worn by Hollywood A-listers like ZendayaThis past month goes some way to backing up Unesco’s forecast. Alongside MaXhosa, brands from Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon have been launching new collections at the industry’s “big four” fashion weeks – Paris, Milan, London and New York.After his show in Paris, ballet dancer-turned-designer Imane Ayissi tells the BBC “there’s been a “noticeable increase” in African showing at Europe’s fashion weeks.”Six years ago, there were no designers from Africa in official Western fashion weeks,” he says. Ayissi, the son of a Cameroonian champion boxer and a beauty queen, sent his models down the Paris runway wearing layers of taffeta and satin, into which he incorporated kente (a handwoven Ghanaian textile) along with traditional fabric from Burkina Faso.Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Imane Ayissi’s latest collection juxtaposed materials like satin with traditional African fabric designs”The main inspiration is the way women, in a lot of different African countries, mostly in Western and Central Africa, use simple pieces of fabrics and drape them around their hips to create a kind of skirt, sometimes with several levels,” the designer says.But why have African styles and textiles like this seen such a rise in popularity recently?There are a variety of reasons, one being the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, says Frederica Brooksworth, chief executive of the Council for International African Fashion Education (CIAFE).”For once, because everything was happening online and not many people were able to do things like fashion weeks, it was an amazing opportunity for Africa’s voice to actually be heard,” she tells the BBC.She also points to the dizzying rise of the Afrobeats genre, the growth of successful fashion shows within Africa – like Lagos Fashion Week – and the impact of creatives in the diaspora.Image source, AFPImage caption, Tolu Coker’s latest collection was a tribute to street vendors in West AfricaBorn in the UK to Nigerian parents, breakout designer Tolu Coker was among the handful of diasporans showcasing their heritage at London Fashion Week last month.Her latest collection pays homage to the tenacity of West Africa’s street hawkers, who sell goods from kiosks or brave traffic to reach passing drivers.”My mother used to hawk when she was younger… that’s a really big part of her story,” says Coker, whose fans include Rihanna and Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage. Image source, AFPImage caption, A market stall was set up at the end of the runway for Tolu Coker’s London showCoker’s models marched down the Mayfair runway sporting razor-sharp tailoring, raffia bags and, in one instance a chic, multi-coloured suitcase – “a nod to the businesswoman”. While championing Nigerian culture, Coker notes that diaspora designers like her are “privileged” and enjoy opportunities that their counterparts on the continent often cannot access.Poor infrastructure, as well as a lack of formal education and investment are among the challenges faced by designers working in Africa, Unesco says. /* sc-component-id: sc-bdVaJa */ .sc-bdVaJa {} .hlroRb{overflow:hidden;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;background-color:#F2EFEC;-webkit-flex-direction:row-reverse;-ms-flex-direction:row-reverse;flex-direction:row-reverse;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;box-sizing:border-box;} /* sc-component-id: sc-bwzfXH */ .sc-bwzfXH {} .kUlSIZ{width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%;position:absolute;background-size:cover;background-position-x:50%;background-position-y:50%;background-image:url(‘https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/assets/175f0d3c-257d-4842-8a71-55475b6eded5’);} /* sc-component-id: sc-htpNat */ .sc-htpNat {} .kUePcj{max-width:743px;width:45%;position:relative;min-height:200px;-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} /* sc-component-id: sc-bxivhb */ .sc-bxivhb {} .bQGZgI{max-width:100%;position:absolute;bottom:0;left:0;color:#ffffff;background:#000000;opacity:0.7;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;padding:5px;word-wrap:break-word;} @media (max-width:599px){.bQGZgI{font-size:12px;line-height:16px;}} @media (min-width:600px) and (max-width:1007px){.bQGZgI{font-size:13px;line-height:16px;}} @media (min-width:1008px){.bQGZgI{font-size:12px;line-height:16px;}} /* sc-component-id: sc-gzVnrw */ .sc-gzVnrw {} .blLFIH{width:45% !important;position:relative;margin:0;word-wrap:break-word;color:#404040;font-weight:300;-webkit-flex:1 0 auto;-ms-flex:1 0 auto;flex:1 0 auto;padding:16px;} /* sc-component-id: sc-htoDjs */ .sc-htoDjs {} .kGbKV{display:block;} /* sc-component-id: sc-dnqmqq */ .sc-dnqmqq {} .dHUwnI{font-weight:100;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;padding:11px 0 25px 0;} .dHUwnI p{margin:0;} @media (max-width:599px){.dHUwnI{font-size:18px;line-height:22px;}} @media (min-width:600px) and (max-width:1007px){.dHUwnI{font-size:21px;line-height:24px;}} @media (min-width:1008px){.dHUwnI{font-size:20px;line-height:24px;}} /* sc-component-id: sc-iwsKbI */ .sc-iwsKbI {} .jiPRqw{display:block;} /* sc-component-id: sc-gZMcBi */ .sc-gZMcBi {} .honXkL{padding-top:10px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;} /* sc-component-id: sc-gqjmRU */ .sc-gqjmRU {} .klLnaG{color:#404040;font-style:normal;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;} .klLnaG > strong{font-weight:bold;} @media (max-width:599px){.klLnaG{font-size:16px;line-height:20px;}} @media (min-width:600px) and (max-width:1007px){.klLnaG{font-size:18px;line-height:22px;}} @media (min-width:1008px){.klLnaG{font-size:16px;line-height:20px;}} @font-face { font-family: ‘ReithSans’; 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font-weight: bold; } @font-face { font-family: ‘NotoSansEthiopic’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/NotoSansEthiopic-Regular.ttf) format(“truetype”); } @font-face { font-family: ‘NotoSansEthiopic’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/NotoSansEthiopic-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”); font-weight: bold; } @font-face { font-family: ‘Mallanna’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/mallanna.ttf) format(“truetype”); } Laduma NgxokoloAfrican luxury fashion is a very lonely space to operate in”Laduma NgxokoloSouth African designerNgxokolo attests to this assessment – he tells the BBC that “African luxury fashion is a very lonely space to operate in”.”Initially, I didn’t feel supported. I went to banks, I went to government funding agencies – most of the funding packages are for people that are into mining, the food business, farming.” Bobby Kolade, founder of Ugandan brand Buzigahill, and who has presented his collections at Berlin Fashion Week, has similar gripes.”I don’t think that our governments and our leaders see the value of small business. If we were creating 3,000 jobs at once, then they’d be on our side,” says Kolade, whose melding of fashion and activism piqued the interest of global media publications.Image source, BuzigahillImage caption, Buzigahill’s latest collection is inspired by workers in KampalaAfrica does have an increasing market for luxury clothes at it has a growing middle-class – though its designer brands are currently only accessible to a “small, wealthy percentage”, Unesco says.And some African governments are taking steps to support their designers. For instance, Kenya’s government helped to launch the Kenyan Fashion Council, while an initiative from the Central Bank of Nigeria funds some designers there. There are also other upsides, Kolade stresses.To him, Uganda’s capital, Kampala, is a wellspring of inspiration.Buzigahill’s latest collection drew from the city’s security guards, tree surgeons and farmers who, according to Kolade, “don’t know how much swag they have”.Image source, AFPImage caption, Fashion weeks from Lagos to Johannesburg show there is also a growing middle-class on the continent willing to spend on high-end brandsHis words reflect a common ethos among Africa’s designers – that of planting their cultures at the centre of their work, while still drawing the attention of the Western-led global fashion industry. Two decades on from his amakrwala fashion debut, Ngxokolo is putting the final touches to his Paris Fashion Week show while also preparing to open his first New York store.But, Ngxokolo insists, South Africa has always been his “priority”.”The loyalty and the love that your people give you is great,” he says. “It’s a form of great sustainability for the business.”Images subject to copyright.You may also be interested in:How the Oscars changed the life of a Kenyan designerThe AI artist reimagining a stylish old ageTurning an iconic plastic bag into high fashionHow Paris got a taste for second-hand style from AfricaRelated TopicsNigeriaBusiness in AfricaCameroonUgandaSouth AfricaBlack interestFashionAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsTop StoriesUN says many bullet wounds among Gaza convoy injuredPublished18 minutes agoBiden treads carefully through Middle East minefieldPublished10 hours agoRents soar in commuter towns as tenants priced out of citiesPublished12 hours agoFeaturesWhat video and eyewitness accounts tell us about Gazans killed at aid dropBad blood over Singapore Taylor Swift tour subsidiesThe Papers: ‘Democracy under threat’ and ‘Farewell Navalny’Black country singers: ‘We’re tolerated, not celebrated’The two faces of Robert F Kennedy JrJools ‘can’t believe’ he’s finally number oneHow worried is Labour after losing Rochdale?’Cousin of the Kelpies’ unveiled on Glasgow canalHow big banks are becoming ‘Bitcoin whales’Elsewhere on the BBCWill this elite boarding school fit around them?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds behind…AttributioniPlayerHair-pulling, wrestling and kicking!Watch the moment a violent brawl unfolded in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerThe mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayerWhy do people behave the way they do on social media?Marianna Spring investigates extraordinary cases of online hate to find out…AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Killer whale vs shark: Solo orca eats great white2How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?3Victoria Beckham’s fashion show disrupted by Peta4Rents soar in towns as tenants priced out of cities5US fashion designer Iris Apfel dies aged 1026UN says many bullet wounds among Gaza convoy injured7’Democracy under threat’ and ‘Farewell Navalny’8Bad blood over Singapore Taylor Swift tour subsidies9Jools ‘can’t believe’ he’s finally number one10How we tracked down the Ukrainian poison seller

[ad_1] “The main inspiration is the way women, in a lot of different African countries, mostly in Western and Central Africa, use simple pieces of fabrics and drape them around…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIn pictures: Welcoming the Lunar New YearPublished22 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsLunar New YearImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Dragon dancers performed at a park in BeijingSaturday 10 February marked the start of Lunar New Year, and more than a billion people in countries around the world have been saying farewell to the Year of the Rabbit and welcoming the Year of the Dragon.Lunar New Year is typically celebrated in parts of Asia – notably China, South Korea and Vietnam – but it is also celebrated by diaspora communities around the world such as in Europe and the US.Fireworks, music, fairs, lanterns, dragon and lion dancing filled streets across Asia as locals began celebrations that typically last about 15 days.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Participants from the Granada Masskara Dance group from the Philippines took part in a parade in Hong KongImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, A performer breathed fire during celebrations in ManilaImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, People in Bangkok headed to the temple of Yaowarat Chinatown to prayImage source, HENRY NICHOLLS/GETTY IMAGESImage caption, A Chinese lion dance team entertained the crowd in central LondonImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, People took to the streets of Philadelphia to celebrateImage source, EPAImage caption, People left food offerings in a temple in Taipei, TaiwanRelated TopicsLunar New YearMore on this storySnowstorms disrupt Lunar New Year travel in ChinaPublished3 days agoLunar New Year: Celebrating the Year of the DragonPublished2 days agoTop StoriesKing thanks public for support after cancer newsPublished42 minutes agoSix-year-old Gazan girl found dead days after plea for helpPublished11 hours agoPolice searching Thames for Clapham attack suspectPublished7 hours agoFeaturesIsraeli soldier videos from Gaza could breach international law, experts sayWill King’s diagnosis bring Harry and William closer?Are politicians cooling on tackling climate change?The Ukrainians ‘disappearing’ in Russia’s prisonsDinosaur Island: 40 years of discoveries on SkyeCelebrities and the perils of oversharing daily routinesWhy are attitudes shifting towards climate policies? AudioWhy are attitudes shifting towards climate policies?AttributionSounds’There is no right or wrong way to have alopecia’Spain’s LGBT matador: ‘More will come out because of me’Elsewhere on the BBCIt’s make or break timeAnother set of eager entrepreneurs hope to impress the fearsome panelAttributioniPlayerHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIs this the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique discovery: the skull of a giant, prehistoric sea monsterAttributioniPlayerThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerMost Read1King thanks public for support after cancer news2Hungary president resigns over child abuse pardon3Boyzone ‘excited’ about Chorley FC talks4Six-year-old Gazan girl found dead days after plea for help5Celebrities and the perils of oversharing daily routines6Police searching Thames for Clapham attack suspect7Small plane crashes into back garden of house8England recover to edge past youthful WalesAttributionSport9Farmer protests could escalate, warns organiser10Will King’s diagnosis bring Harry and William closer?

[ad_1] A billion people in countries around the world – mostly in Asia – greet the Year of the Dragon.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIs Canada vulnerable to foreign interference?Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Toronto Star via Getty ImageImage caption, Canadian member of parliament Michael Chong learned through media reports that China allegedly targeted himBy Nadine YousifBBC News, TorontoThe allegations kept mounting in Canada: Election-meddling by China, an Indian-backed assassination on home soil, and a campaign to harass Iranian dissidents. Is Canada especially vulnerable to foreign interference?Michael Chong said it did not take long for him to become a target of Beijing.In testimony before US lawmakers on Capitol Hill last year, the Canadian Conservative politician described how an alleged intimidation campaign against him was born after he spoke out against China’s human rights record in parliament.He said that a Chinese official in Canada began gathering details about his relatives living in Hong Kong shortly after, and that a smear campaign against him was launched on China’s most-popular social media platform, WeChat.”My experience is but one case of Beijing’s interference in Canada,” he said. “Many, many other cases go unreported and unnoticed, and the victims suffer in silence.”Canada launches inquiry into foreign interferenceThe alleged targeting of Mr Chong, which first became public when intelligence reports were leaked to Canadian media, unleashed a fierce debate in the country around its vulnerability to foreign interference and the safety of its citizens.On Monday, he and others will begin testifying before a public inquiry that will look into Beijing’s meddling in Canada, especially its alleged efforts to sway the country’s last two federal elections by backing certain candidates.China has denied any interference and the allegations have soured relations between Beijing and Ottawa. While the inquiry will focus on claims of election interference by China, Russia, India “and other foreign actors”, experts say the problem of foreign meddling in Canada is much more complex and widespread. Solving it, they say, demands a restructuring of the political and social DNA of the country, which has long-failed to prioritise matters of national security. “Generally speaking, we have been neglecting national security, intelligence, law enforcement, defence, and so on,” Thomas Juneau, a political analyst and professor at the University of Ottawa, told the BBC.While it is tough to determine whether Canada is uniquely vulnerable compared to its allies, Mr Juneau argued that other countries have done a far better job in addressing the issue.An outdated system that is slow to adaptOne glaring problem, Mr Juneau said, is the out-of-date act governing the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (csis). It is almost 40 years old, designed with the Cold War in mind, “when the fax machine was the new thing”, he said. Because of this, he said, the nation’s primary intelligence agency has been limited in its operations, focused on sharing information solely with the federal government.This means possible targets are often left in the dark. That was spotlighted by Mr Chong’s story. He only discovered that he had been an alleged target of Beijing through the media, despite csis having monitored threats against him for at least two years.Canada has since launched public consultations into how the law governing csis can be amended to better inform and protect individuals who could be a target.The source of Canada’s security complacency, argued Richard Fadden, a former csis director and national security advisor to two prime ministers, is that Canada has lived in relative safety, largely protected from foreign threats by its geography: the US to the south, and surrounded by three oceans.”I mean, nobody is going to invade Canada,” he said. Canada’s allies – like the US and Australia – have been quicker to adopt certain tools to help catch bad actors, such as establishing a registry of foreign agents and criminalising acts that can be classified as interference.In December, Australia convicted a Vietnamese refugee who was found to be working for the Chinese Communist Party, thanks to a law it passed in 2018 that made industrial espionage for a foreign power a crime.Such laws are not only important for charging and convicting culprits, but can also help educate the public and deter other nations from interfering, said Wesley Wark, a leading Canadian historian with expertise in national security.Diaspora groups are especially vulnerableMr Wark said the country’s diverse population has also made it a convenient target for foreign states.”We are a multicultural society and we have gone to great lengths over decades to preserve and protect that,” he said.But diaspora groups, especially those vocally opposed to the government of their country of origin, have naturally become a target.British Columbia lawyer Ram Joubin has had a first-hand look at the threats facing dissidents in Canada, particularly those from Iran. While investigating people with ties to the Iranian regime who call Canada home, Mr Joubin said he has heard from Iranian-Canadians who say they have been followed and harassed by regime agents in their own communities.”We’ve had death threats, knock-on-the-door type of death threats,” he said. “And then we have a lot of people with their families in Iran being threatened because they engaged in some sort of activism.”Csis has previously said it is aware of alleged intimidation attempts. The Iranian government has not commented publicly on these allegations. In Mr Joubin’s experience, reporting these incidents to officials like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been a challenge, especially when additional work is needed to establish a credible criminal or civil case.Both the RCMP and csis were criticised after the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist that was killed in June in British Columbia, which Canada has alleged was done with the involvement of Indian government agents – something India denies. Prior to his death, Mr Nijjar had said that police were aware he was a target of an assassination plot. Questions were raised about whether something could have been done to stop his killing after the FBI said it was able to foil a similar assassination plot in November against another Sikh separatist leader in New York City. Image source, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesImage caption, Richard Fadden says Canada is only now coming to terms with its vulnerability to foreign meddlingMr Fadden said the events of 2023 represented a seismic shift in Canada’s psyche, forcing the country to finally confront the issue of foreign interference.”Despite a deep reluctance on the part of the government to hold a foreign inquiry, they were compelled to do it,” Mr Fadden said. “I think if there hadn’t been that shift, we wouldn’t have an inquiry.”The inquiry, led by Quebec appellate judge Marie-Josée Hogue, will be conducted in two phases, ending with a final report in December that will include recommendations on what Canada can do to deter future interference.Some have expressed concern about the inquiry’s short mandate, and whether its recommendations will be wide-ranging enough and implemented as Canada inches closer to an election year that could see a change in government.But in the meantime, Mr Fadden and others said they believe urgent action is needed.”There are two big issues: there’s interference in our elections,” Mr Fadden said. “But there’s also interfering and scaring members of the diaspora in this country, which is a very serious matter.””We have a responsibility to protect people who are in Canada, and I don’t think we’re doing as good of a job on this as we could be.”Related TopicsChinaCanadaMore on this storyCanada launches inquiry into foreign interferencePublished7 September 2023US must work with Canada to stop China meddling – MPPublished13 September 2023The long fight for justice over downed plane in IranPublished8 January 2023Top StoriesThree US troops killed in Middle East drone attackPublished4 hours agoDisposable vapes to be banned over fears for children’s healthPublished8 minutes agoPost Office chairman had to go – BadenochPublished3 hours agoFeaturesBBC confronts man who abused boy in secretive Christian churchKey UN Gaza aid agency runs into diplomatic stormWho invented butter chicken? 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[ad_1] A public inquiry launching on Monday could be a reckoning in the country on national security matters.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaAustralian Open: Zheng Qinwen sparks Chinese tennis hopes going into finalPublished1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Zheng Qinwen has reached her first Grand Slam final but can the rising Chinese star repeat Li Na’s success a decade on?By Frances MaoBBC NewsOn paper, it sounds like a fairy tale penned by a Chinese tennis fan.Almost exactly 10 years since Li Na won the Australian Open to become China’s first Grand Slam champion a new, young Chinese player will be attempting to follow in her footsteps. When Zheng Qinwen walks out onto centre court on Saturday, she will be just the second Chinese player in history to reach a major final.Which means with her will be the hopes of more than a billion Chinese people and diaspora – just a little extra pressure on the 21-year-old, who only broke into the top 10 this week.Many of those new fans have lapped up the narrative around the bright-eyed young star, who huddled around a television screen to watch Li Na, the woman who would become her hero, pick up her first trophy for China aged just eight.”She put a little seed in my heart that I also wanted to do that and to be like her… and even better,” Zheng said of Li’s 2011 Roland Garros victory in a Tennis Channel interview last year.Organisers at the Australian Open have also seized on that narrative, staging a surprise meeting at this year’s tournament.Image source, AUSTRALIAN OPEN/TENNIS AUSTRALIAImage caption, Zheng only met her idol Li for the first time in Melbourne this weekThe Slam published the moment the retired champion sneaks up on Zheng during an interview. Zheng, caught in front of the cameras, is stunned: “Wow Li Na, big sister!” she gasps, hugging her hero. “This is my first time speaking to you,” she says, half to Li, half to the cameras. “She’s so beautiful in reality!”‘This could be huge’She may have only become a household name since securing her grand final place this week, but to those in the know, Zheng’s been on the radar for a while now. Last season she worked with top coach Wim Fissette, who this year returned to Naomi Osaka at which point Zheng reunited with her Spanish coach, Parc Reberre, who co-coached Coco Gauff to her US Open win last year.”We’ve seen a number of waves of Chinese tennis players who have been solid – by which I mean top 30, even top 20 on occasion… but no one really to rival Li Na until Zheng Qinwen,” says Mark Dreyer, author of Sporting Superpower, a book on China’s sporting ambitions.”But the big difference is she’s only 21. Li Na broke through when she was already 29, much later in her career. For Zheng, because she’s so young and has such a long career potentially ahead of her, this could be huge.”Like Li Na was, Zheng is backed by major sponsors and management – Nike and IMG. “I can tell you they’ve been talking about her internally as a potential top five player for at least a couple of years,” Mr Dreyer says. “So this has been a long anticipated moment I think.”After debuting on the WTA in 2022, she cracked the top 100 last year before reaching the US Open’s quarter-final, where she lost to the woman she will meet on the court this Saturday, the world number two Aryna Sabalenka.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Zheng previously met Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter finals of the US Open last yearThe parallels to her idol aren’t limited to just her playing performance – Zheng exhibits the same bubbly, friendly persona on court that won Li Na fans the world over.Her former coach Fissette described her in the New York Times as funny and as passionate about karaoke as she is about tennis.She also endeared herself to female fans in her debut season, after talking about the period pain which brought to an end her otherwise impressive run at the 2022 French Open.”It’s just girl things you know. The first day is always so tough and then I have to do sport… I wish I can be a man on court, but I cannot in that moment. If I don’t have my stomach pain I think I could enjoy more, like to run better and to hit harder, to give more effort on court,” she said.Mr Dreyer notes Zheng also “ticks every box” for global athletic stardom, not least because she is fluent in English.”People really warm to Zheng when she does the on-court interviews just the the way that they did with Li Na,” he says, noting the former champion’s famous sense of humour. “Zheng is not quite at the same humour level, but she’s engaging, she’s smiley and articulate – people warm to her.”But what’s more, stars like Li and now potentially Zheng are “the best soft power that China has”, he says, especially as, in contrast to other athletes, tennis players get great global exposure because of the international tournament circuit.Li Na set the standard for how many Chinese players operate on the circuit these days: in independent teams with foreign coaches, under the approval of national sports authorities but outside of their control.But for those at the top there’s also a tricky line to walk.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Zheng has been a crowd favourite at the Australian Open this yearMany believe former world number one doubles player Peng Shuai was essentially exiled from the sport, forced into retirement in 2021 after she accused retired Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. Questions over her disappearance fuelled global concern for weeks before she was seen again in public in officially released images. That treatment of Peng, only two years ago, still lingers in the minds of tennis fans. Under some videos of Zheng’s plays in the tournament, commentators have written: “Where is Peng Shuai?” And there were comments on Chinese social media after Zheng’s semi-final on Thursday suggesting that state CCTV, which livestreamed the match to record viewing numbers, delayed broadcast of her post-match interview.”Yes she’s going to get awkward questions… but frankly, as a 21-year-old, what is she supposed to say? I mean it’s an impossible situation. We all know she can’t get up there and say this or that about whatever the situation may and may not be,” Mr Dreyer says.She should just be allowed to “develop the way she wants and to be a personality and character without being too worried about what she does or doesn’t say”.He noted that of the four Chinese players who have ever made a Grand Slam semi final, all except Peng Shuai were spotted courtside in Melbourne this week.There’s a high chance that Li Na and the other luminaries will be in Rod Laver Arena again on Saturday night to “jiayou” or cheer on their country’s next tennis star. Zheng’s performance has drawn many Chinese spectators to the Slam, which increasingly pitches itself as the tournament of the Asia-Pacific region.But Zheng is very much the underdog going into the final: a lucky run has meant she has not faced a single seeded player on her way through the open.Sabalenka, on the other hand, is on a 13-game winning streak and knocked out Coco Gauff in her semi. Zheng herself has called her one of the biggest hitters on tour. But she says she won’t let the history of the moment get to her. When asked about destiny at Thursday’s post-match conference, she laughed it off. And Li’s been giving her tips, Zheng says.”She said don’t think too much, just go for it.”Related TopicsChinaMore on this storySabalenka beats Gauff to reach Melbourne finalAttributionSportPublished2 days agoHow China censored a tennis starPublished8 February 2022Top StoriesUN agency condemns aid halt after Hamas attack claimPublished1 hour agoPost Office chairman asked to step downPublished4 hours agoWatch: Huge fire engulfs building in Liverpool. 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[ad_1] The 21-year-old aims to repeat Li Na’s 2014 victory going into the Australian Open final.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCould you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Could you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersCloseJury selection is under way in Donald Trump’s New York City hush-money trial, with hundreds of people selected as potential jurors.They must answer a questionnaire to determine, among other things, if they can be impartial about the former president.The BBC asked some of those questions to Manhattan residents.SubsectionUS & CanadaPublished50 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionExplore moreCould you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New Yorkers. Video, 00:02:16Could you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished50 minutes ago2:16Up Next. A view from inside court for Trump’s blockbuster trial. Video, 00:01:15A view from inside court for Trump’s blockbuster trialSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished19 hours agoUp Next1:15Press, police and protesters: Outside Trump courthouse. Video, 00:01:12Press, police and protesters: Outside Trump courthouseSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished1 day ago1:12Trump’s ‘perp walk’ moment explained in 60 seconds. Video, 00:01:00Trump’s ‘perp walk’ moment explained in 60 secondsSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished31 March 20231:00Editor’s recommendationsCopenhagen stock exchange engulfed by huge fire. Video, 00:01:03Copenhagen stock exchange engulfed by huge fireSubsectionEuropePublished12 hours ago1:03Moment spire collapses at Copenhagen stock exchange. Video, 00:00:43Moment spire collapses at Copenhagen stock exchangeSubsectionEuropePublished11 hours ago0:43Dormice ladders built in the Forest of Dean. Video, 00:00:51Dormice ladders built in the Forest of DeanSubsectionGloucestershirePublished1 day ago0:51Liz Truss: The world was safer under Trump. Video, 00:00:35Liz Truss: The world was safer under TrumpSubsectionUK PoliticsPublished22 hours ago0:35Huge fires blaze along Miami highway. Video, 00:00:33Huge fires blaze along Miami highwaySubsectionUS & CanadaPublished12 hours ago0:33Watch: Georgia opposition leader punches MP during debate. Video, 00:00:34Watch: Georgia opposition leader punches MP during debateSubsectionEuropePublished21 hours ago0:34Wheelie bins fly and a caravan overturns in strong wind. Video, 00:00:24Wheelie bins fly and a caravan overturns in strong windSubsectionStoke & StaffordshirePublished1 day ago0:24Hannah Waddingham calls out demanding paparazzi. Video, 00:00:28Hannah Waddingham calls out demanding paparazziSubsectionEntertainment & ArtsPublished1 day ago0:28Endangered California condor chicks hatched in LA. Video, 00:01:28Endangered California condor chicks hatched in LASubsectionUS & CanadaPublished1 day ago1:28

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityUKEnglandN. IrelandScotlandAlbaWalesCymruIsle of ManGuernseyJerseyLocal NewsFirst product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealedPublished11 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Meghan pictured at a polo match in Florida last weekBy Sean CoughlanRoyal correspondentA first glimpse of the new business venture from the Duchess of Sussex has been teased on social media, with pictures of a jar of strawberry jam.In a bid to preserve a sense of mystery, the jam from the new American Riviera Orchard brand seemed to be spread among friends and influencers.Fashion designer Tracy Robbins posted a picture of the jam on Instagram.It was numbered “17 of 50”, suggesting the number of recipients of this first fruit of the new business.The arrival of Meghan’s new California-based lifestyle brand had been signalled on social media last month and this suggests that it will be selling food products.What do we know about Meghan’s new brand?Five things about Harry and Meghan’s brand revampWhy did Harry and Meghan leave the Royal Family?There seemed to be have been something of a re-launch for Meghan and husband Prince Harry’s brands and businesses this year, beginning with the overhaul of their regal-looking website under the sussex.com label.Their latest projects seem to be moving away from a previous focus on their time as working royals, such as their Netflix film Harry and Meghan and Prince Harry’s memoir Spare.The hint about the strawberry jam from Meghan’s American Riviera Orchard brand seems to fit with the couple’s latest Netflix plans.Meghan is going to launch a Netflix show which will “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining, and friendship”.Prince Harry will be involved in another Netflix venture showing the inside track on the world of polo. That’s the equestrian sport, not the mints.Delfina Blaquier, married to Prince Harry’s polo-playing friend Nacho Figueras, also posted a picture of the new jam, with hers labelled “10 of 50”.The social media trail for American Riviera Orchard evokes a sense of the couple’s home in California – and this soft launch for the jam show pictures of the jars in a sunny basket of lemons.It’s not known how much items from the new lifestyle brand will cost. Although there are already plenty of other royals getting into jams. Visitors to the gift shops in royal palaces can get a Buckingham Palace Strawberry Preserve for £3.95 or Windsor Castle Fine Cut Seville Orange Marmalade, also for £3.95.On both sides of the Atlantic they seem to be conserving their finances.Related TopicsUK Royal FamilyMeghan, Duchess of SussexMore on this storyWhat we know about Meghan’s regal lifestyle brandPublished16 MarchMeghan launches surprise new lifestyle brandPublished14 MarchTop StoriesMPs back smoking ban for those born after 2009Published8 minutes agoMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished2 hours agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished7 hours agoFeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlinePlaying Coachella after cancer emotional, says DJHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Nursery boss ‘killed baby she strapped to beanbag’2Birmingham Airport flights disrupted by incident3Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge4First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed5MPs back smoking ban for those born after 20096Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference7Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames8Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline9Marten a ‘lioness’ who ‘loved her cubs’, court told10Sons of McCartney and Lennon release joint single

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSupreme Court hears 6 Jan case that may hit Trump trialPublished2 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS Capitol riotsImage source, Brent StirtonImage caption, Hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol after holding a “Stop the Steal” rally on 6 January, 2021By Nadine YousifBBC NewsThe US Supreme Court have begun hearing a case that could undo charges for those who stormed the Capitol in 2021. It focuses on whether a 2002 federal law created to prevent corporate misconduct could apply to individuals involved in the 6 January riots. More than 350 people have been charged in the incident under that law, which carries a 20-year prison penalty.Donald Trump faces the same charge in the pending federal case accusing him of election interference. The law makes it a crime to “corruptly” obstruct or impede an official proceeding. On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justices heard two hours of arguments over the law’s interpretation. However, it remained unclear how they would rule. A lawyer for a man who stormed the Capitol and was prosecuted under the law argued before the Justices that “a host of felony and misdemeanour” crimes already exist to prosecute his clients actions.The 2002 law passed in the wake of the Enron accounting scandal, Jeffrey Green said, was not one of them. US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar counterargued that rioters deliberately attempted “to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the election,” therefore obstructing an official proceeding. Both fielded sceptical questions from the Justices. At one point, Mr Green argued that there is no historical precedent in which the law was used to prosecute demonstrators.Justice Sonia Sotomayor replied: “We’ve never had a situation before where (there was an attempt) to stop a proceeding violently, so I am not sure what a lack of history proves.”On the other hand, Ms Prelogar fielded questions from Justice Neil Gorusch on whether the law could then be stretched to apply to a “sit-in that disrupts a trial” or “a heckler” at the State of the Union Address. “Would pulling a fire alarm before a vote qualify for 20 years in federal prison?” he asked, appearing to reference an incident in which Jamaal Bowman, Democrat House representative, pressed a fire alarm in the Capitol.How the top court rules could have wide-ranging effects on the hundreds of people charged, convicted or sentenced under the law, as well as the prosecution of Mr Trump. Here is a breakdown of the key players and the law being argued: What is the 2002 federal law at the centre of the trial?The law is called the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. It was passed in response to the Enron scandal in the early 2000s, after it was exposed that those involved had engaged in massive fraud and shredding documents. It criminalizes the destruction of evidence – like records or documents. But it also penalises anyone who “otherwise obstructs, influences or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so.” How has it been used in response to the 6 January riots?Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) has brought obstruction charges against those who participated in the storming of the Capitol. Federal prosecutors argue they did so to impede Congress’ certification of the presidential electoral vote count to cement Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election. Therefore, the latter portion of the law that deals with obstructing an “official proceeding” would apply, the DoJ says. Who is challenging the law’s use in this case, and why? The Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to the law’s application brought forward by a former Pennsylvania police officer.Joseph Fischer was charged under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with obstruction of a congressional proceeding on 6 January, as well as assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct. His lawyers argue that prosecutors overreached with applying the Act, which they say deals explicitly with destroying or tampering with evidence integral to an investigation. Those who challenge the law’s application in 6 January cases also argue that a broad interpretation of the law would allow the prosecution of lobbyists or protestors who disrupt matters in Congress.How could the Supreme Court ruling impact Trump?The former president is charged under the very same law in a federal case accusing him of working to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Mr Biden.If Supreme Court justices rule that the law does not apply to the 6 January rioters, Mr Trump could seek dismissal of half the charges he faces in that case.It also could be seen as a political win for the former president, who is seeking re-election in November, as he repeatedly has accused prosecutors of overreach. A final ruling is not expected until June. Related TopicsUS Capitol riotsDonald TrumpMore on this storySupreme Court to hear appeal over Capitol riot chargePublished13 December 2023A very simple guide to Trump’s indictmentsPublished25 August 2023Supreme Court asked to rule on Trump’s immunityPublished12 December 2023Top StoriesMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished1 hour agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished5 hours agoNo liberty in addiction, says health secretary on smoking banPublished4 minutes agoFeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlineMeteorite ‘repeatedly transformed’ on space journeyHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge2Birmingham Airport suspends flights over incident3First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed4Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference5Marten a ‘lioness’ who ‘loved her cubs’, court told6Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline7Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames8No liberty in addiction, says minister on smoking ban9Sons of McCartney and Lennon release joint single10Boy, 4, dies after fire at family home in Wigan

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaNational Conservatism Conference: Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels eventPublished4 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Nigel Farage said the decision to shut the conference down was as an attempt to stifle free speechBy Nick Beake in Brussels and Laura GozziBBC NewsBrussels police have been ordered to shut down a conference attended by right-wing politicians across Europe, including Nigel Farage and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.Organisers say the National Conservatism Conference in the Belgian capital is continuing, but guests are no longer allowed to enter. Local authorities had raised concerns over public safety.A UK spokeswoman called reports of police action “extremely disturbing”. She said that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was a “strong supporter and advocator for free speech” and that he was “very clear that cancelling events or preventing attendance and no-platforming speakers is damaging to free speech and to democracy as a result”.Alexander De Croo, the Belgian prime minister, said that the shutting down of the conference was “unacceptable”.Referring to the fact that it was the local mayor, Emir Kir, who opposed the conference, Mr De Croo added that while municipal autonomy was a cornerstone of Belgium’s democracy it could “never overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing the freedom of speech”. “Banning political meetings is unconstitutional. Full stop,” Mr De Croo wrote on X.In a message to organisers, Mr Kir had said some of the attendees of Tuesday’s conference held anti-gay and anti-abortion views. “Among these personalities there are several particularly from the right-conservative, religious right and European extreme right,” his statement said.Mr Kir also wrote on X: “The far right is not welcome.”Nigel Farage, who took to the stage this morning, told the BBC the decision to close down the conference because there were homophobes in the audience was “cobblers”, and that he condemned the decision as an attempt to stifle free speech. “Thank God For Brexit”, he said.Organised by a think-tank called the Edmund Burke Foundation, the National Conservatism Conference is a global movement which espouses what it describes as traditional values, which it claims are being “undermined and overthrown”. It also opposes further European integration.The conference said it aimed to bring together “public figures, journalists, scholars and students” who understood the connection between conservatism and the idea of nationhood and national traditions. French far-right politician Eric Zemmour, arriving for the conference after police had blocked the entrance, told journalists that Mr Kir was “using the police as a private militia to prevent… Europeans from taking part freely”.Organisers said Mr Zemmour was not allowed into the venue and that his address would be postponed.Former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman and far-right French politician Eric Zemmour were listed as keynote speakers. The National Conservatism Conference reportedly started around 08:00 (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday and carried on for three hours until police showed up and asked the organisers to make attendees leave.Later, organisers wrote on X: “The police are not letting anyone in. People can leave, but they cannot return. Delegates have limited access to food and water, which are being prevented from delivery. Is this what city mayor Emir Kir is aiming for?”Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki were due to speak tomorrow. Earlier, the organisers said on X that they would challenge the order to shut the conference down. “The police entered the venue on our invitation, saw the proceedings and the press corps, and quickly withdrew. Is it possible they witnessed how peaceful the event is?,” they wrote on X.The Claridge event space – located near Brussels’s European Quarter – can host up to 850 people. Around 250 people were in attendance on Tuesday afternoon.Mohamed Nemri, the owner of Claridge, told the BBC he had decided to host the event because “we don’t reject any party…. even if we don’t have the same opinion. That’s normal”.”I am Muslim and people have different opinion and that’s it. We are living in a freedom country. I’d like to people to talk freely,” he added.It is the third venue that was supposed to hold the event, after the previous two fell through. Belgian media reported that one venue pulled out after pressure by a group called the “Antifascist coordination of Belgium”.Related TopicsBelgiumTop StoriesMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished43 minutes agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished5 hours agoLive. US expects to impose further sanctions on Iran ‘in the coming days’FeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlineMeteorite ‘repeatedly transformed’ on space journeyHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge2First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed3Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference4Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline5Superdry boss hits back at ‘not cool’ criticism6Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames7MPs to vote on smoking ban for those born after 20098Stabbed TV presenter ‘feeling much better’9Sons of McCartney and Lennon release joint single10Baby hurt in Sydney stabbing out of intensive care

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaNasa says part of International Space Station crashed into Florida homePublished40 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, NASAImage caption, The recovered object was part of a stanchion used to mount batteries to a cargo palletBy Max MatzaBBC NewsUS space agency Nasa confirmed that an object that crashed into a home in Florida earlier this month was part of the International Space Station (ISS). The metal object was jettisoned from the orbiting outpost in March 2021, Nasa said on Monday after analysing the sample at the Kennedy Space Center.The 1.6lb (0.7kg) metal object tore through two layers of ceiling after re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. Homeowner Alejandro Otero said his son was nearly injured by the impact. Nasa said the object was part of some 5,800lbs of hardware that was dumped by the station after it had new lithium-ion batteries installed. “The hardware was expected to fully burn up during entry through Earth’s atmosphere on March 8, 2024. However, a piece of hardware survived and impacted a home in Naples, Florida,” the agency said.The debris was determined to be part of a stanchion used to mount batteries on a cargo pallet. The object, made from metal alloy Inconel, has dimensions of 4in by 1.6in (10.1cm by 4cm).Mr Otero told CBS affiliate Wink-TV that the device created a “tremendous sound” as it blasted into his home.”It almost hit my son. He was two rooms over and heard it all,” he said.”I was shaking. I was completely in disbelief. What are the chances of something landing on my house with such force to cause so much damage,” Mr Otero continued.”I’m super grateful that nobody got hurt.”According to Nasa, the ISS will “perform a detailed investigation” on how the debris survived burn-up.What’s the risk of being hit by falling space debris?Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s more space junkSpace junk has been a growing a problem. Earlier this month, sky watchers in California watched mysterious golden streaks moving through the night sky.US officials later determined that the light show was caused by burning debris from a Chinese rocket re-entering earth’s orbit.In February, a Chinese satellite known as “Object K” burned up as it re-entered the atmosphere over Hawaii.Last year, a barnacle-covered giant metal dome found on a Western Australian beach was identified as a component of an Indian rocket. There are plans to display it alongside chunks of Nasa’s Skylab, which crashed in Australia in 1979. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Object thought to be a satellite burns up on re-entering Earth’s atmosphereRelated TopicsSpace debrisNasaFloridaUnited StatesMore on this storyIs it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s more space junkPublished3 AprilRobot dog trains to walk on Moon in Oregon trialsPublished3 days agoTop StoriesMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished50 minutes agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished4 hours agoLive. US expects to impose further sanctions on Iran ‘in the coming days’FeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlineMeteorite ‘repeatedly transformed’ on space journeyHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge2First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed3Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference4Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline5Superdry boss hits back at ‘not cool’ criticism6Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames7MPs to vote on smoking ban for those born after 20098Stabbed TV presenter ‘feeling much better’9Baby hurt in Sydney stabbing out of intensive care10Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice forever

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaFormer Marine jailed for nine years for bombing abortion clinicPublished7 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS abortion debateImage source, CBSBy Max MatzaBBC NewsA former US Marine has been jailed for nine years for firebombing a California Planned Parenthood clinic and plotting other attacks to spark a “race war”.Chance Brannon, 24, pleaded guilty to the March 2022 attack on the healthcare clinic, which provides abortions in some of its locations.He also plotted to attack Jewish people and an LGBT pride event taking place at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. At the time of his arrest, he was an active duty member of the US Marines. Prosecutors said Brannon was a neo-Nazi who frequently spoke of “cleansing” the US of “particular ethnic groups”. In November, Brannon pleaded guilty to conspiracy, destruction of property, possession of an explosive and intentionally damaging a reproductive health services facility.Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, said the attack “was designed to terrorise patients seeking reproductive healthcare and the people who provide it”.The explosion damaged the front entrance to the clinic in Costa Mesa, Orange County. No one was injured.However, Mehtab Syed, of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said Brannon’s “deep-rooted hatred and extremist views… could have killed innocent people”. Mr Syed added that Brannon plotted to rob Jewish residents in the Hollywood Hills, and had also discussed plans to attack the power grid. Further to this, in 2022, Mr Syed said Brannon, of San Juan Capistrano, placed calls to two US “adversaries” hoping to offer himself as a “mole” providing US intelligence.Two co-defendants, Tibet Ergul and Xavier Batten, have pleaded guilty to similar charges and will be sentenced next month.According to the National Abortion Federation, a group representing US abortion providers, there was a “sharp increase” in violence against clinics in 2022. Related TopicsAbortionUS abortion debateUnited StatesCaliforniaMore on this storyWhat is Planned Parenthood?Published25 September 2015Top StoriesMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished53 minutes agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished3 hours agoLive. Israel demands sanctions on Iranian missile projectFeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlineMeteorite ‘repeatedly transformed’ on space journeyHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge2Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference3Superdry boss hits back at ‘not cool’ criticism4First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed5Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline6Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames7MPs to vote on smoking ban for those born after 20098Stabbed TV presenter ‘feeling much better’9William to return to duties after Kate diagnosis10Baby hurt in Sydney stabbing out of intensive care