The primary time Kim Eun-hee tried to write down a love story, the movie flopped. “I noticed that romance wasn’t working for me,” she stated.

It isn’t shocking — the South Korean screenwriter famed for historic zombie epic “Kingdom” has a reasonably pessimistic tackle love.

“Does not all love expire at about three years? Does real love even exist? I feel this fashion fairly a bit,” she informed CNN. “I do not suppose I can write screenplays that make individuals’s hearts flutter.”

Now, greater than 15 years after her try at a romantic film, Kim’s job as a tv author is about providing a form of “catharsis” to her viewers. However, she stated, “I do not need to give an excessive amount of false hope that seems in dramas.”

She is speaking concerning the genres and tropes many Korean TV reveals are historically identified for — romantic comedies and melodramas that some say embody reasonably unrealistic depictions of affection.

Kim’s tales are typically round societal points, together with crime, class divide and politics. “I need to write about how vice is punished … poetic justice,” she defined.

Her 2019 Netflix collection “Kingdom” explored these themes with a Fifteenth-century zombie twist. Towards the backdrop a zombie epidemic in South Korea’s Joseon dynasty, “Kingdom” options the epic journey of the crown prince as he searches for the reason for the outbreak.

In accordance with its director Kim Seong-hoon, tales like “Kingdom” have modified Korean dramas, bringing the thriller style into the mainstream.

Korean filmmaking has an extended historical past of home success however in recent times it has turn out to be more and more common with worldwide audiences. In 2020, the film “Parasite” turned the primary non-English language movie to win finest image on the Oscars, and the expansion of streaming companies has supplied a platform for Korean reveals to make their approach into residing rooms all over the world.

“Squid Recreation” has turn out to be Netflix’s hottest present ever, and the significance of streaming is giving new prominence to the function of screenwriter.

Netflix introduced Kim Eun-hee on as one in every of its first inventive companions in South Korea, and the streaming service says it has invested practically $500 million in Korean content material in 2021 alone. “She is the tip of the spear,” stated Keo Lee, Netflix’s director of Korean authentic collection. “What I like most about her is her perception within the energy of a great story.”

A “scary creativeness”

Kim’s storytelling prowess has lengthy been acknowledged in South Korea and roles in her reveals are coveted. Actor Jeon Suk-ho credit “Kingdom” as a turning level in his profession. “It appears to indicate precisely what the ability of writing is,” he informed CNN.

That sentiment can also be shared by common actors Ju Ji-hoon and Gianna Jun — each leads within the “Kingdom” collection, in addition to Kim’s newest drama “Mount Jiri.”

Kim’s reveals typically characteristic an ensemble of characters with particular person tales, which mix to make her work advanced and compelling. “Kim Eun-hee’s writing could be very tough to behave as an actor,” Ju stated. “Although her scripts are simple to learn, the roles usually are not simple to behave,” he added, due to their many layers.

Jun stated that whereas she’s at all times loved watching Kim’s reveals, a number of the “scary and brutal scenes” shocked her when she began working with Kim. “Every time I have a look at her, I feel, the place might that scary creativeness presumably come from?”

“Anybody can write a script”

Launched in October 2021, “Mount Jiri” depicts the lives of mountain rangers and hikers on South Korea’s second-tallest mountain. Researching the script, Kim tried to climb the mountain to raised perceive why individuals go there. It did not prove as she had hoped.

“I’m afraid of heights, terrified of bugs, and likewise I’ve a weak physique, so I ended up in misery in the midst of the mountain,” she recalled. “Ultimately, I ended up spending an evening at a shelter close by. I had a really exhausting time, however seeing the night time sky filled with stars gave me confidence about penning this script.”

For Kim, the dedication she places into her work could be seen within the particulars, and whereas the job can generally be difficult, she feels rewarded when viewers praise her reveals. “This sort of feeling could be very addictive.”

Regardless of her personal world success, Kim believes anybody can turn out to be a screenwriter. “I did not get good grades as a pupil, and my social abilities had been additionally not that nice. I actually wasn’t good at something,” she stated. “In case you are interested by individuals, whether or not you’re a man or a girl, you possibly can turn out to be an amazing screenwriter.”

TORONTO —
An individual who went lacking throughout a hike final week in Colorado ignored a number of cellphone calls from search-and-rescue as a result of they didn’t acknowledge the quantity, based on authorities.

In a Fb put up final Thursday, Lake County Search and Rescue (LCSAR) described how that they had been referred to as at round 8 p.m. on Oct 18 with a report of a hiker who was overdue to return from a hike on Mount Elbert.

Mount Elbert is the very best summit of the Rocky Mountains, and the very best level in the complete state of Colorado, U.S.

The hiker had departed on their hike from the south trailhead at round 9 a.m. that morning, LCSAR had been instructed, and nonetheless had not returned.

Search-and-rescue tried a number of instances to achieve the hiker on their mobile phone, however acquired no response.

Fearing for the hiker’s security, LCSAR despatched members out into the sphere at 10 p.m. to look “excessive chance areas,” however though they searched till 3 a.m., they didn’t find the hiker.

At 7 a.m. the following day, LCSAR despatched three extra folks out to look in one other location the place hikers usually lose the path. However simply two-and-a-half hours later, they acquired the excellent news — the hiker they had been trying to find was secure and had returned to their place of lodging. The one who initially reported them as lacking was the proprietor of the institution the place they had been staying.

The twist was that the hiker had no concept anybody had been on the lookout for them.

LCSAR acknowledged that the hiker recounted how they misplaced monitor of the path round dusk on the 18th, and spent the night time looking for their manner again to the path. As soon as they discovered the path once more, they had been trying to find the proper trailhead, after which lastly reached their automotive the morning of the nineteenth, nearly 24 hours after they started the hike.

The rationale they didn’t know that anybody was out on the lookout for them was as a result of after they noticed an unknown quantity on their cellphone, they declined the decision robotically, regardless that they had been receiving repeated calls from the identical quantity whereas misplaced on a mountain.

LCSAR harassed of their put up that whenever you’re in an emergency, it’s best to in all probability decide up your cellphone when you get in a name.

“In the event you’re overdue based on your itinerary, and also you begin getting repeated calls from an unknown quantity, please reply the cellphone; it could be a SAR workforce attempting to substantiate you’re secure!” the put up acknowledged.

Though everybody was secure in the long run, the story emphasizes how tough it may be to recollect frequent sense when misplaced on the facet of a mountain.

“The priority of that is simply unnerving for election officers throughout the nation, and it ought to alarm each American within the nation,” Wyman stated.

Wyman could be a federal liaison to state and native officers as they search for sources and help to guard election infrastructure from hacking and voters from disinformation campaigns. She has expertise to attract on: She spent almost a decade because the elections director for Thurston County, Washington, earlier than being elected secretary of state.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company declined to remark and Wyman’s workplace didn’t reply to a request for remark.

A spokesperson for the White Home Nationwide Safety Council referred inquiries to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company.

Throughout the 2020 election, officers on the company used a public web site and an energetic Twitter account to debunk Trump’s false claims of widespread election fraud. The very fact-checking prompted Trump to fireside the company’s then-director, Christopher Krebs, by tweet.

DHS ramped up its election safety efforts after the 2016 election, when Russian government-backed hackers probed state IT programs throughout the US and accessed voter registration knowledge in Illinois. Krebs and his election-security lead, Matthew Masterson, received plaudits from state and native officers of each events for forging nearer cooperation after an environment of distrust in 2016.

Jen Easterly, the company’s present director, has stated it’s going to proceed its efforts to fight voting-related disinformation.

Krebs informed CNN on Monday that he was “actually impressed” by the selection of Wyman to steer the company’s election safety efforts.

“Kim does not see R or D, crimson or blue,” Krebs stated. “She’s dedicated to delivering democracy for the nation. Everybody wins right here.”

If formally named, Wyman could have her work lower out for her.

Since Trump’s defeat final November, election officers of each events have confronted a torrent of mis- and disinformation from Trump allies that election specialists warn is a risk to US democracy. The FBI has in current months stepped up its efforts to research the threats to state and native officers, CNN reported in September.

In a current paper revealed by Stanford College, Masterson and different election safety specialists warned that the threats may immediate election officers to go away the career when they’re wanted most.

This story has been up to date with remark from Christopher Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company.

In Georgia, Trump has already appeared on the marketing campaign path alongside Walker, a former College of Georgia soccer participant who has confronted allegations of threatening a number of ladies.

“You recognize, Herschel will not be solely a Georgia hero, he’s an American legend,” Trump mentioned at a September rally with Walker. “Herschel has been one of many biggest athletes in America and I do know he’ll go down additionally as one of many biggest senators in America.”

In a 2008 interview with CNN, Walker spoke overtly about combating psychological sickness and the violent and disturbing ideas he had. Walker mentioned had been recognized with dissociative identification dysfunction, which was beforehand referred to as a number of character dysfunction.

“You will get indignant, however the anger that you could exit and actually, actually damage somebody, and that is when you recognize you bought an issue,” Walker informed CNN on the time.

His ex-wife, Cindy Grossman, detailed her violent encounters with Walker in a 2008 interview as effectively. She mentioned he had threatened her with weapons in addition to knives. In a single occasion, he held a straight razor to her throat and threatened to kill her.

Grossman described the primary time he held a gun to her head. “He held the gun to my temple and mentioned he was going to blow my brains out,” she mentioned in 2008.

On the time, Walker didn’t deny the incidents, however he mentioned he couldn’t bear in mind them and famous that blackouts are among the many signs of his sickness.

One other girl — a buddy of Grossman’s — additionally informed police within the early 2000s that Walker had made “threats to her” and had “her home watched,” in keeping with a police report obtained by CNN.

Walker’s marketing campaign famous he has gotten assist since his allegedly violent incidents within the early 2000s. And within the 2008 interview, Walker described searching for out remedy, together with seeing a therapist.

“Since getting assist, Herschel has devoted his life to serving to others and has visited tons of of navy bases, hospitals, and non-profits sharing his personal story with troops and different Individuals,” mentioned Mallory Blount, a spokeswoman for Walker’s marketing campaign. “It’s unhappy that many in politics and the media who praised Herschel for his transparency over a decade in the past are actually making false statements, stereotyping, attacking, and trying to sensationalize his previous simply because he’s a Republican Senate candidate.”

One other allegation in opposition to Walker arose years later. Myka Dean, who informed police she had a romantic relationship with Walker, mentioned he had threatened to kill her, in keeping with a 2012 police report. Based on the report, Dean mentioned Walker informed her he was “going to ‘blow his head off’ after he killed her.”

Walker’s marketing campaign vehemently denied the claims involving Dean.

“These baseless allegations are surfacing a decade later purely for political mudslinging, which is irresponsible and improper,” mentioned Blount, the marketing campaign spokeswoman.

Dean died in 2019. In an announcement from her mom, supplied by the Walker marketing campaign, Dean’s mom mentioned, “That is the primary any of us knew about this. We’re very pleased with the person Herschel Walker has develop into.”

If the allegations in opposition to Walker are disconcerting to different GOP leaders, few are talking out.

Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell just lately downplayed the allegations of abuse in opposition to Walker in an interview with Politico.

“There are some issues written that point out he is had some challenges in his life. However, the excellent news is, he is made a number of spectacular performances on nationwide tv,” McConnell informed Politico. “I believe there’s each indication he will be a very good candidate.”

Trump has a monitor report of embracing distinguished figures who’ve confronted allegations of misconduct in opposition to ladies.

In 2017, Trump endorsed Roy Moore for Senate throughout a particular election in Alabama, despite the fact that a number of ladies had accused Moore of molesting or sexually assaulting them after they have been youngsters and he was in his 30s. Moore denied the allegations and went on to lose the election.

And Trump has confronted allegations of his personal. Throughout his 2016 presidential marketing campaign, greater than a dozen ladies got here ahead with allegations of sexual misconduct in opposition to him. He denied all of them and used their claims to attempt to forged himself because the sufferer.

“I’m [a] sufferer of one of many nice political smear campaigns within the historical past of our nation,” Trump claimed at a 2016 rally in North Carolina.

“Donald Trump has gravitated towards some folks with actual skeletons and scandals of their pasts,” mentioned CNN political commentator S.E. Cupp, noting Trump’s prior endorsement of Moore. “There undoubtedly appears to be a special tolerance stage, and that is each contained in the get together and amongst voters, amongst Republican voters. I believe as soon as they swallowed Trump, that type of conditioned the atmosphere to sort of settle for something.”

Ruth Glenn, CEO and president of the Nationwide Coalition In opposition to Home Violence, mentioned America continues to be failing at treating ladies equitably and holding folks in positions of energy accountable for his or her actions towards ladies.

“I do not assume we’ve a stage of consciousness about violence in opposition to ladies, what it seems like, what the dynamics are, how it may be insidious inside our tradition and be acceptable,” Glenn mentioned. “What we hear because the underlying message is we — survivors and notably ladies — do not matter.”

Ohio congressional endorsement seems like a ‘intestine punch’

Grisham, who served as Trump’s White Home press secretary from 2019 to 2020, described it as a “intestine punch” and mentioned it “kicked me within the enamel” when she noticed the previous President endorse Miller, her ex-boyfriend, for Congress.

“You’ve got the chance to elect an unbelievable patriot to congress, who I do know very effectively,” Trump informed the group at an Ohio rally in June. “Max Miller, you recognize Max? Nice man. He loves our nation. He loves the folks of Ohio.”

When Trump first endorsed Miller again in February, Grisham mentioned she had already disclosed to the previous President and his spouse, Melania Trump, that her relationship with Miller had develop into abusive — a declare Miller has denied.

“I had an ex that I dated and there was abuse in each method there,” Grisham informed CNN’s Jake Tapper. “And that is one thing I truly informed the President and the primary girl about, and so they did nothing. If it did not have an effect on them, and so long as I used to be protecting quiet and being good, then I assume that sort of habits was OK.”

Grisham has not referred to Miller by title when discussing the abuse, as an alternative describing him as an ex-boyfriend whose congressional bid has been endorsed by Trump.

“The endorsement, actually, it kicked me within the enamel,” she informed CNN. “That was a very, actually powerful one, based mostly on what occurred.”

Within the wake of these claims, Miller has denied the abuse and filed a defamation swimsuit in opposition to Grisham.

“Ms. Grisham’s allegations that Mr. Miller was violent and bodily abusive in direction of her are completely unfaithful,” mentioned Larry Zukerman, an legal professional for Miller. Zukerman described Grisham as “unemployed and unbelievable” and accused her of utilizing deceitful claims to advertise her newly launched e book.

Requested in regards to the defamation lawsuit, Grisham informed CNN, “I need to respect the authorized course of so do not need to remark apart from to say the lawsuit is an try at intimidation, which is correct out of the Trump playbook.”

Messy divorce turns into a political weapon in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, Trump has elevated one other candidate with a tumultuous backstory.

“Come on up right here,” Trump mentioned at a September rally in Pennsylvania, welcoming Parnell on stage. “Sean Parnell, who has my full and whole endorsement.”

Parnell, who’s operating in a GOP major for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania, has been embroiled in a messy divorce that has developed right into a deeply private line of assault in opposition to his marketing campaign.

Jeff Bartos, one in all Parnell’s Republican opponents, and an aligned tremendous PAC have tried to make use of two momentary safety from abuse orders filed in opposition to Parnell by his estranged spouse as political weapons.

“We all know that Parnell’s spouse positioned a number of 911 calls resulting in safety from abuse order is being filed in opposition to Parnell, however now Parnell is attempting to silence his spouse with a gag order to cease her from speaking about what occurred,” proclaimed one tv advert from a pro-Bartos tremendous PAC.

When the safety from abuse orders first got here to mild, Parnell slammed the Bartos marketing campaign in an announcement supplied to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Jeff Bartos is a determined liar, plain and easy,” Parnell mentioned in an announcement to the newspaper. “Bartos’ allegations are horrific lies and all of the proof proves it. Not solely does he know full effectively that these allegations are provably false, however his willingness to unfold these lies as a right for the harm he is doing to my three younger youngsters is totally disgusting. It takes a very dishonorable ‘man’ to stoop this low simply to attain a couple of low-cost political factors.”

Parnell’s marketing campaign declined to remark for this story. However in a marketing campaign launch Monday, Parnell’s staff claimed the “smear marketing campaign” in opposition to him was failing.

Parnell’s spouse, Laurie Snell, filed the orders in 2017 and 2018, in keeping with sheriff’s division information. One was withdrawn below a mutual settlement from each events and a choose declined to increase the 2018 order, in keeping with folks acquainted with the state of affairs. The orders — which lasted just a few days — and the allegations that prompted them have been expunged from courtroom information.

With a view to get hold of a short lived safety from abuse order, an individual has to say they’ve been abused or threatened with abuse, in keeping with Butler County paperwork and attorneys who spoke to CNN.

“There needs to be a present worry and there has to have been some risk of hurt or earlier hurt,” mentioned Susan Pearlstein, a senior legal professional with Philadelphia Authorized Help. “It isn’t based mostly on how another person would really feel — it is this individual on this circumstance, have they got an inexpensive worry of imminent hurt.”

A lawyer for Snell declined to touch upon the circumstances that led to the safety from abuse orders however famous that Parnell had been “excluded from the house the place she and their youngsters have resided since 2018.”

The paperwork from the sheriff’s division present that Parnell was required to relinquish his firearms below each safety from abuse orders and, in a single case, he was required to depart the household dwelling.

In Butler County, momentary orders are granted with just one get together — the individual alleging abuse — current. A listening to later takes place with each events, in keeping with the sheriff’s workplace.

Sarah Katz, an affiliate scientific professor of regulation at Temple College, mentioned there’s a sturdy debate within the authorized neighborhood about whether or not such safety orders are over or under-utilized.

“Are there examples we are able to level to of individuals misusing the method? Positive. There are at all times going to be folks misusing the method,” Katz mentioned. “I do not imagine there’s some rampage of individuals which might be doing that.”

As Bartos and his allies seized on the problems surrounding Parnell’s private life and native media retailers started reporting on the problems, Parnell requested a choose in mid-September to seal his ongoing custody case and forestall his estranged spouse from discussing it.

In a courtroom submitting, Parnell famous he was operating for Senate and pointed to tales that have been revealed in regards to the safety from abuse orders. He informed the courtroom he feared the small print surrounding the case “will trigger embarrassment, pointless scrutiny and adverse points for the events’ minor youngsters.”

A choose declined to seal the case, aside from in sure circumstances involving details about Parnell’s youngsters.

Jennifer Gilliland Vanasdale, a lawyer for Snell, cheered the choose’s ruling.

“The highly effective and influential are usually not entitled to particular remedy and so they shouldn’t be permitted to silence others,” Vanasdale mentioned.

TORONTO —
The telecommunications big Rogers Communications Inc. has discovered itself embroiled in household drama that consultants consider may have implications in all factions of the media conglomerate.

Final week, just lately ousted board chair Edward Rogers mentioned he was re-elected as chair of a brand new board that he had hand chosen, a transfer opposed by different members of the Rogers household and among the different board members.

However who’re the relations concerned within the squabble? CTVNews.ca has compiled a listing of the important thing members of the Rogers household on the centre of the monetary controversy.

TED ROGERS

Rogers Communications Inc. President and CEO Ted Rogers speaks to shareholders on the firm’s annual normal assembly in Toronto, Tuesday, April 29, 2008. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Edward Rogers Sr., finest referred to as Ted Rogers, was the president and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc.(RCI) and was the fifth-richest particular person in Canada when he died in 2008.

Though his father, Edward S. Rogers Sr., is taken into account the founding father of RCI, the corporate was established in 1967, a number of years after his father’s dying.

Ted was the only real proprietor of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2003 till his dying. He was an officer to the Order of Canada and acquired a nomination into the Telecommunications Corridor of Fame. He additionally donated greater than $41 million to the College of Toronto and Ryerson College within the 2000s.

EDWARD ROGERS

Edward Rogers attends the Rogers AGM in Toronto on Thursday, April 18, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Younger

Edward Rogers, the 52-year-old son of Ted, was ousted as chairman of the board of administrators at Rogers final week after particulars emerged of his plan to oust the corporate’s CEO, Joe Natale. Days later, Edward re-established himself as chair, with six new members of the board of administrators.

In accordance with the Rogers web site, Edward can also be the chairman of Rogers’ finance committee, nominating committee, govt committee, the Rogers Financial institution and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Edward is on the board of administrators for Maple Leafs Sports activities and Leisure (MLSE), house owners of 9 Toronto-area sports activities groups together with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Toronto FC.

He additionally served on the board of the Hospital for Sick Kids Basis between 2016 and 2020. His spouse Suzanne stays on the board.

LORETTA ROGERS

Widow Loretta Rogers, entrance proper, seems to be up on the funeral of her husband Ted Rogers at St. James Cathedral in Toronto on Tuesday, December, 9, 2008. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Loretta Rogers, widow of Ted and mom to Edward, is the corporate director and a member of the advisory committee for the Rogers Management Belief.

Loretta has voiced her assist for CEO Joe Natale, indicating that “no different group of people has any authority to purport to behave because the Board of Administrators of Rogers Communications Inc.”

She has acquired honourary physician of legal guidelines levels from College of Western Ontario, Ryerson College and the College of Toronto. She is a member of the board for each the Toronto Common and Western Hospital Basis.

MARTHA ROGERS

Martha Rogers, Edward’s sister, is chair of Rogers’ Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Committee. She can also be a member of the advisory committee for the Rogers Management Belief and beforehand served as director of Rogers Wi-fi Communications Inc. and Rogers Media Inc.

She referred to as for her brother to “step down” from Rogers in a barrage of tweets over the weekend.

Martha additionally holds high-ranking positions at a number of charities, together with The Rogers Basis, the Canadian Lyford Cay Basis, Artists for Peace and Justice and the International Poverty Challenge Canada.

MELINDA ROGERS-HIXON

Melinda Rogers-Hixon, sister of Edward, is the deputy chair of the board, vice chair of the Rogers Management Belief and a director for the Rogers Financial institution.

Rogers-Hixon is a board member for MLSE and chair of the Blue Jays’ charitable endeavour, referred to as the Jays Care Basis.

In talking to BNN Bloomberg on behalf of Rogers-Hixon, her lawyer Walied Soliman referred to as Edward’s transfer “unconscionable” and “fairly regrettable.”  He added that he anticipated the British Columbia courts, which will likely be listening to the matter, to invalidate the motion.

JOE NATALE

Joe Natale laughs whereas speaking with a Telus Corp. board member earlier than the telecom firm’s annual normal assembly in Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday Could 8, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck 

Joe Natale has been president and CEO of RCI since 2017, having beforehand served a number of senior positions at Telus. Natale co-founded PNO Administration Consultants Inc., which was finally acquired by KPMG in 1997.

Edward and a number of other Rogers senior executives had deliberate to unseat Natale as CEO, although he has the backing of the opposite Rogers relations.

ANTHONY STAFFIERI

Anthony Staffieri was the RCI chief monetary officer till he resigned from his place in late September. No official motive for his resignation has been indicated.

Staffieri had been Edward’s selection to exchange Natale as Rogers CEO.

With the resignation, Rogers misplaced one in every of its longest-serving executives at a time when it’s perusing a $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications.

JOHN MACDONALD

John MacDonald changed Edward as Rogers chair final week with the backing of the opposite Rogers relations.

MacDonald additionally serves on a number of Rogers committees, together with audit and threat, company governance, human assets and nominating.

With recordsdata from The Canadian Press and BNN Bloomberg

OTTAWA —
The Canadian authorities has quietly modified the standards on its web site for a particular program for susceptible Afghan refugees in order that solely those that have already managed to flee to different nations are eligible.

The net standards for the “particular humanitarian program” used to incorporate Afghans “who’re in Afghanistan or exterior of Afghanistan,” however it was modified this month to use solely to these “exterior of Afghanistan.”

This system is one in all two set as much as assist deliver 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada and is meant for susceptible teams together with ladies leaders, persecuted spiritual or ethnic minorities, LGBTQ folks and journalists.

The net standards for the opposite program, which is aimed toward interpreters and others who helped Canada throughout its navy mission in addition to embassy workers, nonetheless permits these inside Afghanistan to use.

When the federal government first introduced the particular humanitarian program in August, it stated it could apply to these exterior Afghanistan, however it finally included these caught contained in the war-torn nation in its on-line standards.

The federal government stated Monday that the change to the web site was a “communications slightly than a coverage change.”

Alex Cohen, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino, stated Canada would proceed to do its utmost to assist susceptible Afghans inside and out of doors the nation.

Because the Taliban seized Kabul and took management in August, it has been more and more troublesome to get folks out.

Canada ended its airlift mission from Kabul close to the tip of August because the U.S. was finishing its personal withdrawal from the nation. Hundreds of individuals with permission to journey to Canada had been left behind — together with Canadian residents.

Teams working with Afghans attempting to flee the nation stated the change to the standards for the humanitarian program on Canada’s official web site would sow confusion and desperation amongst Afghans hoping to come back to Canada.

The web site is the supply of authoritative data on who’s eligible and saying solely these exterior the nation now qualify — when till mid-October it stated these in Afghanistan certified — may drive Afghans to resort to folks smugglers, they warned.

Stephen Watt of Northern Lights Canada, a refugee group, stated the federal government’s plan to deliver 40,000 Afghans to Canada has been wrapped in secrecy ever because it was introduced.

“There may be nonetheless no clear solution to apply to this system, or to find who it’s accepting or how it’s working,” he stated. “This can be a life and dying query for most of the folks we’re speaking to inside Afghanistan.

“Our authorities wants to come back clear about its plans for these very susceptible individuals who it promised to assist in the warmth of the election, and supply a transparent path for offering that assist. This is not a time for empty guarantees and secret processes.”

Wendy Noury Lengthy, director of the Afghan Interpreters Affiliation, stated she feared that the change, made in mid October, would drive determined Afghans to go to excessive lengths to get overseas so that they qualify.

“Folks will probably be pondering how do I get out? Do I contact human smugglers? Nations are actively deporting folks again to Afghanistan,” she stated.

“This can be a coverage change. That is the reason of whether or not you qualify. You take an enormous danger to attempt to get out to a different nation and also you would possibly end up deported again to Afghanistan.”

The humanitarian program Canada set as much as assist Afghans in danger has strict eligibility standards. To qualify Afghans should even be a lady chief, a human rights advocate, a member of a persecuted spiritual or ethic minority, within the LGBTQ neighborhood, or a journalist or somebody who has helped Canadian journalists. As of mid October, they have to be positioned exterior Afghanistan.

Those that match these standards must register for refugee standing with the United Nations Refugee Company or the federal government the place they stay and wait to be referred below this system. They may also be recognized as eligible by a personal sponsor.

Round 3,700 Canadians and Afghan refugees, together with former interpreters, had been airlifted out by Canada earlier than the tip of August.

Roughly 1,700 interpreters and different Afghans with papers to come back to Canada are at present in safehouses in Kabul. Some safehouses, being run by an NGO and funded by veterans and personal donations, face closure inside weeks due to lack of funding.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan introduced on Friday that Canada will resettle as much as 322 extra Afghans who helped NATO nations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Oct. 25, 2021.

The outcomes have been practically in step with Wall Avenue analysts’ projections. Fb’s (FB) inventory rose greater than 3% in after-hours buying and selling Monday following the earnings report.

The outcomes come amid maybe the most important disaster within the social media big’s 17-year historical past. Tens of hundreds of pages of inner paperwork leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen knowledgeable the Wall Avenue Journal’s “Fb Information” sequence, and on Monday, a flood of extra information protection by a consortium of 17 US information organizations, in addition to hearings with US and UK lawmakers. The paperwork present the deepest look but at lots of Fb’s largest issues, together with its struggles to control hate speech and misinformation, using its platform by human traffickers, analysis on harms to younger folks and extra. (Fb has pushed again on lots of the reviews, saying they’re deceptive and mischaracterize its analysis and actions.)

On Monday, Fb warned that the iOS 14 adjustments might create “continued headwinds” within the fourth quarter of 2021.

Whereas a lot of the world spent the day centered on Fb’s real-world harms, the corporate hinted to traders within the report that it desires them trying ahead, not backward. Beginning within the fourth quarter, the corporate plans to interrupt out Fb Actuality Labs — its division devoted to augmented and digital actuality companies — as a separate reporting section from its household of apps, which incorporates Instagram, WhatsApp and Fb’s namesake social community.

CFO Dave Wehner mentioned Fb is investing so closely on this newer division that it’ll scale back “our total working revenue in 2021 by roughly $10 billion.”

In a press release with the outcomes, Fb CEO and cofounder Mark Zuckerberg additionally centered on what’s subsequent: “I am enthusiastic about our roadmap, particularly round creators, commerce, and serving to to construct the metaverse.”

TORONTO —
As Canadian corporations wrestle to fill job vacancies, one advocacy group is looking on firms to extend their advantages protection to incorporate fertility remedies.

A current survey from the Enterprise Growth Financial institution of Canada discovered that 55 per cent of Canadian small and medium-sized employers are struggling to rent the employees they want. The survey additionally discovered that greater than 26 per cent are having a tough time retaining their workers.

In response to the survey, which additionally polled staff, a want for increased wages was the first purpose staff deliberate to vary jobs within the subsequent yr, adopted by elevated advantages.

Tara Wooden, board president of the advocacy group Conceivable Goals, says now, amid the “nice resignation,” is the “excellent time” for society to be having discussions on what sorts of fertility advantages employers can provide their staff.

“COVID has proven us that there’s a special technique to stay,” she instructed CTVNews.ca in a cellphone interview. “Individuals are on the lookout for their employers to step up.”

FERTILITY BENEFITS IN CANADA

Fertility advantages can cowl a variety of remedies, together with procedures, akin to intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), testing and egg freezing, in addition to the price of fertility medication.

The price of remedies can vary from a median $400 per yr for egg, sperm or embryo storage to as much as $20,000 per cycle of IVF. Infertility impacts one in six Canadian {couples}, a quantity that has doubled because the Eighties, in accordance with the Public Well being Company of Canada. 

Whereas there was a rise within the variety of American firms providing fertility protection of their health-care plans, Canadian firms have been slower to adapt, says Wooden.

“I began assembly with employers final yr,” Wooden mentioned. “There’s definitely urge for food (for offering fertility advantages), however there’s an enormous distinction between saying these insurance policies make sense and really doing it. Speaking about doing it and really doing it are two various things, and only a few are doing it in Canada proper now.”

Earlier this yr, Conceivable Goals launched the findings of a examine that reviewed employer profit plans in Canada. The evaluate included a pattern of small to giant employers, throughout all provinces and in all industries. The examine discovered that almost all of Canadian employers don’t provide any fertility advantages.

Of these firms that did provide fertility advantages, the common lifetime protection was $3,250. As nicely, solely 5 per cent supplied protection for each fertility medication and the prices of fertility procedures, the examine discovered.

COMPANIES ‘WALKING THE TALK’

Apart from serving to out staff with the monetary value of infertility, offering fertility advantages reveals staff that firms are “strolling the speak” in the case of creating inclusive insurance policies, says Woods.

Fertility for most girls begins to say no of their 30s, which regularly forces ladies to select mid-career between beginning a household or persevering with on their profession path.

“If an employer is actually devoted to gender fairness inside their organizations, a majority of these advantages, are actually essential, as a result of it permits individuals to decide on after they wish to have a household,” Wooden mentioned.

“When we’ve got choices like egg freezing (protection), which permits that couple to have that baby 5, six years down the highway, that’s an enormous profit.”

Fertility advantages that cowl a variety of remedies would additionally assist LGBTQ2S+ {couples} who want to have a toddler, in addition to lower-income households or single individuals who could not have the monetary means to pursue fertility remedies, she added. “All of us have to play a job in making fertility extra accessible.”

NEW ‘MINIMUM STANDARDS’

Whereas employers could have considerations about rising the worth of their profit plans, including fertility protection doesn’t must considerably add to your backside line, says Yafa Sakkejha, CEO of Beneplan.

Beneplan, which is an middleman between employers and insurance coverage firms, lately launched a brand new sequence of “minimal well being requirements” to all their profit plans, together with protection of $2,500 per lifetime for fertility medication.

Sakkejha mentioned her underwriters discovered that providing $2,500 in fertility protection, resulted in a rise within the well being premium by lower than one per cent. She mentioned since making the addition to the plans, over 90 per cent of her purchasers are selecting to resume it, with each administration and HR departments getting on board.

“That is win-win-win,” Sakkejha instructed CTVNews.ca, noting that it a step in the precise route. “We’re beginning to inch in the direction of higher protection.”

OTTAWA —
A company that obtained $5.8 million from the federal authorities to assist job seekers from under-represented communities is refusing to say if it paid the prime minister’s mom, Margaret Trudeau, to talk at an occasion it held this month.

She appeared in Elevate.ca’s Think2030 sequence, on October 14, to talk about psychological well being and the consequences of the pandemic.

Elevate is a Toronto-based not-for-profit that claims its mission is “to unite Canada’s innovators to unravel society’s biggest challenges.”

It at the moment lobbies the federal authorities for funding via FedDev Ontario, a federal regional financial improvement company.

As lately as 2019, Elevate was additionally registered to foyer the Prime Minister’s Workplace for funding for considered one of its occasions, Elevate Tech Fest.

In June, the federal financial improvement company for Ontario introduced it will present the funding for the group’s Elevate Expertise program, meant to assist folks from marginalized teams discover jobs within the tech and artistic sectors.

The group wouldn’t say how a lot, if something, it paid Margaret Trudeau to take part within the symposium however denied there was a relationship between the occasion and the federal government funding.

“Elevate didn’t obtain any federal funding in any way for its occasion Suppose 2030,” Elevate basic supervisor Lisa Zarzeczny mentioned in an e mail.

Margaret Trudeau didn’t reply to a request for remark by e mail and, when reached by telephone, mentioned she didn’t have time to talk and hung up.

The Prime Minister’s Workplace mentioned the funding was for a program that “goals to reskill 5,300 job seekers from underrepresented communities, together with Black, Indigenous, Individuals of Color, 2SLGBTQ+, and francophone professionals within the Higher Toronto and Hamilton Space and match them with job openings in expertise and innovation-based organizations, start-ups and the artistic industries.”

The Metropolis of Toronto offered a further $350,000 for this system..

Speaker’s Highlight, the company that books skilled audio system, describes Margaret Trudeau as an “revered mental-health points advocate” and lists her amongst these with charges within the $15,000 to $20,000 per occasion vary.

Different audio system within the Think2030 sequence included astronaut Chris Hadfield, singer Jully Black and primatologist Jane Goodall.

Trudeau appeared on a sound stage earlier than a small viewers and spoke for about 22 minutes about her personal psychological well being historical past, then did an on-stage interview with Chloe Wilde, a reporter with CTV’s eTalk Day by day, in regards to the results of self-isolation in the course of the COVID disaster.

Toronto information channel CP24, which is owned by Bell Media, was listed as one of many sponsors of the occasion.

Previous funds to Margaret Trudeau and different Trudeau relations by WE Charity had been the topic of an investigation by the federal ethics commissioner, who discovered that, within the circumstances of that case, there was no contravention of the Battle of Curiosity Act.