Â鶹´«Ã½

World

    • Biden to focus on elections, media as democracy summit wraps

    Share
    WASHINGTON -

    U.S. President Joe Biden is looking to close his two-day virtual Summit for Democracy on Friday by shining a spotlight on the importance of election integrity, countering authoritarian regimes and bolstering independent media.

    On the summit’s first day, Biden announced plans for the U.S. to spend up to US$424 million around the world to support independent media, anti-corruption work and more. The initiative came as he called on world leaders to work with him to reverse what he called an alarming diminishment of democracy around the globe.

    “Will we allow the backward slide of rights and democracy to continue unchecked?†Biden said Thursday. “Or will we together — together — have a vision ... and courage to once more lead the march of human progress and human freedom forward?â€

    The president is scheduled to deliver closing remarks to leaders and civil society groups on Friday afternoon.

    Biden didn’t mention either China or Russia by name as he opened the summit. But he has repeatedly made a case that the U.S. and like-minded allies need to show the world that democracies are a far better vehicle for societies than autocracies. It is a central tenet of Biden’s foreign policy outlook — one that he vowed would be more outward looking than his predecessor Trump’s “America First†approach.

    Biden underscored that even long-established democracies, like the United States, haven’t been immune to the strains.

    “Here in the United States we know as well as anyone that renewing our democracy and strengthening our democratic institutions requires constant effort,†Biden said.

    Thursday’s video gathering drew backlash from the United States’ chief adversaries and other nations that were not invited.

    The ambassadors to the U.S. from China and Russia, two countries that did not receive invitations, wrote a joint essay describing the Biden administration as exhibiting a “Cold-War mentality†that will “stoke up ideological confrontation and a rift in the world.†The administration also faced scrutiny over how it went about deciding which countries to invite.

    Other leaders at the summit delivered their own remarks on the state of democracy — many prerecorded — often reflecting on the stress that rapidly evolving technology is having on their nations. They also bemoaned the increase of disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining institutions and elections.

    “The democratic conversation is changing,†said Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. “New technologies and large tech companies are increasingly setting the stage for the democratic dialogue, sometimes with more emphasis on reach than on freedom of speech.â€

    The summit comes as Biden is pressing Russia’s Vladimir Putin to step back after a massive buildup of troops on the Ukraine border that has created growing concern in Washington and European capitals as well as Ukraine itself. Biden on Wednesday said that he warned Putin of “severe consequences†if Russia invaded.

    Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who took part in Thursday’s summit and later spoke by phone with Biden, said on Twitter, “Democracy is not a given, it must be fought for.â€

    Poland’s Andrzej Duda spoke out against Russia in his address, decrying Moscow and its support of Belarus.

    Poland and Western allies have accused Russian ally Belarus of using migrants as pawns to destabilize the European Union in retaliation for its sanctions on his authoritarian regime. Hundreds of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, have flocked to the Belarus-Poland border.

    Poland “took on a commitment to be a support for democracy in Eastern Europe,†Duda said. “It is a beautiful task, but it has its consequences. It has made us the target of the Kremlin propaganda.â€

    Putin made no public comment on the summit Thursday as he took part in his own video call with members of the Kremlin council for human rights.

    Biden has said passage of his ambitious domestic agenda at home — the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill he signed into law, as well as the roughly $2 trillion “Build Back Better Act†of social and climate change initiatives moving through the Senate — will demonstrate how democracy can improve people’s lives.

    Some advocates also want Biden to focus more on shoring up democracy at home. One early test came Thursday as the House approved the Protecting Our Democracy Act, the third in a trio of bills — alongside the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act — largely backed by Democrats. All three are expected to be stalled by Republicans in the Senate.

    “Here in the United States, we know that our democracy is not immune from threats,†Vice President Kamala Harris said in remarks to close out the first day of the summit that referenced the insurrection at the Capitol in January. “Jan. 6 looms large in our collective conscience, and the anti-voter laws that many states have passed are part of an intentional effort to exclude Americans from participating in our democracy.â€

    The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance said in its annual report that the number of countries experiencing democratic backsliding “has never been as high†as the past decade, with the U.S. added to the list along with India and Brazil.

    Chinese officials have offered a stream of public criticism about the summit. They have also expressed outrage over the administration inviting Taiwan to take part. China claims the self-governing island as part of its territory and objects to it having contacts on its own with foreign governments.

    Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan declined to attend the conference. In a statement issued ahead of the meeting, the foreign ministry said, “We value our partnership with the U.S., which we wish to expand both bilaterally as well as in terms of regional and international cooperation.â€

    Yet Pakistan’s relationship with the U.S. has been fraught with suspicion on both sides. Islamabad has balked at Washington’s often-stated criticism that Pakistan has not been a reliable partner in the war on terror, accusing it of harboring the Taliban even as that group fought a U.S.-led coalition. Pakistan says it has lost 70,000 people to the war on terror since 2001 and is ready to be a partner in peace but not in war.

    Other uninvited countries have also shown their displeasure. Hungary, the only European Union member not invited, tried unsuccessfully to block the EU Commission’s president from speaking on behalf of the bloc at the summit. Last year, Biden referred to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a “thug.â€

    Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto dismissed the summit as a “domestic political-type of event,†where countries whose leaders had a good relationship with Trump were not invited.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro in Washington, Justin Spike in Budapest, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Toronto police have identified the woman who was allegedly killed by a suspected serial killer earlier this month.

    British Columbia billionaire Chip Wilson has put up yet another billboard message to voters, his third post outside his multimillion-dollar mansion in NDP Leader David Eby's own riding.

    A man who stabbed a senior to death in Vancouver's Biltmore Hotel building in 2020 has been given a conditional sentence for the killing, meaning he will not serve any jail time if he remains on good behaviour in the community.

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    Montreal police have arrested two young adults in connection with the deadly fire in Old Montreal last week that killed a mother and her young daughter.

    Two Winnipeggers have been arrested after images and videos were posted online of animals being tortured and killed.

    Canada

    • A man who stabbed a senior to death in Vancouver's Biltmore Hotel building in 2020 has been given a conditional sentence for the killing, meaning he will not serve any jail time if he remains on good behaviour in the community.

    • Two Winnipeggers have been arrested after images and videos were posted online of animals being tortured and killed.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Montreal police have arrested two young adults in connection with the deadly fire in Old Montreal last week that killed a mother and her young daughter.

    • Toronto police have identified the woman who was allegedly killed by a suspected serial killer earlier this month.

    • Cindy Ali, the Toronto mother who was acquitted in the 2011 death of her 16-year-old daughter Cynara after serving more than four years in prison, is suing Toronto police and the city for more than $10 million.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • Two sisters from Ontario travelled to Newfoundland to spend time with their mom after they learned she lost $20,000 to a romance scam.

    • There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.

    Sports

    • Former Toronto Raptors guard Danny Green has announced his retirement from the NBA.

    • The fire inside Brady Oliveira is burning a bit hotter this week, which could spell trouble for the Toronto Argonauts. The Blue Bombers star running back said he and the offence are ready to take on the CFL's best run defence at a sold-out Princess Auto Stadium on Friday, especially with the stakes so high.

    Autos

    • Elon Musk unveils his 'Cybercab' robotaxi

      Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled on Thursday his vision of a 'a fun, exciting future,' an 'age of abundance' full of his company’s self-driving cars without steering wheels, parking lots turned into parks and robots that will walk among the population – that he once again promised would be available within a few years.

    • video

      video

      Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.

    Local Spotlight

    There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.

    Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.

    Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).

    Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.

    A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.

    Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.

    A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.

    Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.

    Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.

    • Homicide investigators have searched a home and a business in connection with a fatal assault earlier this week on northern Vancouver Island.

    • A man who stabbed a senior to death in Vancouver's Biltmore Hotel building in 2020 has been given a conditional sentence for the killing, meaning he will not serve any jail time if he remains on good behaviour in the community.

    • It’s expected to be very busy on the roads, at border crossings, and aboard BC Ferries on Friday as British Columbians begin their long weekend plans.

    • Cindy Ali, the Toronto mother who was acquitted in the 2011 death of her 16-year-old daughter Cynara after serving more than four years in prison, is suing Toronto police and the city for more than $10 million.

    • A pedestrian is in hospital with serious injuries after a driver struck them with their pickup truck before careening into a residential fence and ending up in a backyard swimming pool.

    • Police are looking for a suspect who allegedly threw a coffee at a woman’s vehicle and then shot at her windshield following some sort of dispute that began at a Tim Hortons in Pickering on Friday morning.

    • Calgary police are looking for thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment that was stolen out of a vehicle in the northwest community of Montgomery in September.

    • After fleeing Gaza City last October, time was ticking before Ashjan AbuRabee had to give birth to her fourth child.

    • Haunted Calgary is teaming up with Heritage Park to host an immersive Halloween haunt.

    • A Manotick business has been left stunned as thieves made off with $90,000 worth of jewelry.

    • The Ottawa Police Service is asking the public for help in identifying a suspect involved in an alleged "possible" attempt to abduct a group of children in the Orleans area last weekend.

    • The promotional giveaway that was planned for Monday's game against the Los Angeles Kings at the Canadian Tire Centre will be modified, according to the Ottawa Senators.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Montreal police have arrested two young adults in connection with the deadly fire in Old Montreal last week that killed a mother and her young daughter.

    • A woman from Montreal's South Shore has been charged with aggravated assault after allegedly splashing a 10-year-old boy with boiling water.

    • Quebec restaurant employees are earning a higher wage and working fewer hours than the servers, dishwashers and bartenders in other Canadian provinces, according to a new report from the Quebec Restaurant Association.

    • For the second day in a row, the province announced on Friday the closure of a daycare in Edmonton.

    • The Edmonton Oilers off-ice family is once again expanding as winger Evander Kane prepares for baby number four.

    • A new film on a Canadian NHL icon will premier at Rogers Place Friday night.

    • It's not the most auspicious Thanksgiving weather for the Maritimes as a series of low pressure systems and weather fronts move through the region bringing inclement weather.

    • Halifax Regional Police is searching for a man after the body of a woman was found in Halifax.

    • The Nova Scotia RCMP says a man has died after the truck he was driving crashed in Port Mouton.

    • Two Winnipeggers have been arrested after images and videos were posted online of animals being tortured and killed.

    • A 37-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with multiple offences after videos filmed in a public pool change room were seized by police.

    • The Manitoba RCMP is asking the public for information after a Selkirk building was destroyed in a fire earlier in the week.

    • Regina will vote for a new mayor, city council and public and separate school board trustees on Nov. 13.

    • Darian Durant and Roy Shivers will headline the 2024 Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Plaza of Honour class and will be honoured with a special ceremony at halftime during Saturday’s matchup versus the BC Lions.

    • The Bethune Fire Department (BFD) and RCMP were dispatched to a semi fire loaded with bales on Highway 2 around 5:30 Thursday afternoon.

    • Kitchener, Ont. native Steven Lorentz scored his first goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

    • Toronto police have identified the woman who was allegedly killed by a suspected serial killer earlier this month.

    • Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest has officially begun! Here's what happened during Friday's big Bavarian celebration in front of Kitchener City Hall.

    • Emails obtained by Â鶹´«Ã½ show a Saskatoon private school embroiled in abuse allegations considered mayoral hopeful Gord Wyant a "friend," but he says he cut off contact when the allegations came to light.

    • A basement fire in Saskatoon's Mayfair neighbourhood briefly had crews on their back foot on Thursday night, as the area became too hot to work inside.

    • Darian Durant and Roy Shivers will headline the 2024 Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Plaza of Honour class and will be honoured with a special ceremony at halftime during Saturday’s matchup versus the BC Lions.

    • Two sisters from Ontario travelled to Newfoundland to spend time with their mom after they learned she lost $20,000 to a romance scam.

    • Glenn Thompson packs his E-bike to make the short trip back to the room he’s renting. Just a few short weeks ago, he was living in a tent.

    • An Ontario man said he feels 'devastated' after learning his identity was stolen to take out two fraudulent loans under his name.

    • Around 3:45 a.m. on Thursday, police said two men forced their way into a home in the area of Ashley Crescent and Ashley Place where the homeowner woke up to the commotion.

    • A number of rail crossings in London are about to undergo major safety improvements for both drivers and pedestrians.

    • A controversial sign has temporarily moved to a neighbour’s lawn just outside of Goderich, but the message on it, ‘White Lives Matter,’ remains the same.

    • A family of six has lost all their personal belongings after their house was destroyed by an explosion on the eve of the Thanksgiving Day long weekend.

    • Police in Barrie made an arrest in a sexual offences investigation, and authorities are concerned more women may have had similar experiences.

    • Provincial police remind motorists about the importance of buckling up after an officer discovered a passenger sitting on a kitchen chair inside the vehicle during a traffic stop in the Town of the Blue Mountains.

    • A Toronto man is facing 30 charges after a woman told Windsor police officers she was being forced to work in the sex trade.

    • A Woodslee resident has pleaded guilty to unsafe and illegal hunting practices.

    • Wallaceburg has an all new location for a photo opportunity.

    • Homicide investigators have searched a home and a business in connection with a fatal assault earlier this week on northern Vancouver Island.

    • A man who stabbed a senior to death in Vancouver's Biltmore Hotel building in 2020 has been given a conditional sentence for the killing, meaning he will not serve any jail time if he remains on good behaviour in the community.

    • There are growing calls for the B.C. Conservative Party to remove a candidate over racist remarks he made about Muslims and Palestinians on social media years ago.

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

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

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • The Interfaith Food Bank is busy preparing Thanksgiving bundles and has some tips for anyone hoping to cut down on their holiday dinner costs.

    • A weapons complaint that led to the temporary lockdown of two Lethbridge schools Thursday turned out to be no threat, police said in a media release.

    • Thousands more Lethbridge residents will soon be without a family doctor.

    • A 34-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie who was wanted for a probation violation was found this week with a switchblade, drugs, a digital scale and $5,170 in cash.

    • Someone spitting in the face of a victim escalated into a suspected weapons incident Thursday in Sault Ste. Marie.

    • Someone who bought a lottery ticket in Parry Sound, Ont., last year is about to miss out on a $100,000 prize if they don't claim it within the next two weeks.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½