John McCallum resigned after making controversial remarks over the US extradition request for a top Huawei executive. AFP
John McCallum resigned after making controversial remarks over the US extradition request for a top Huawei executive. AFP
John McCallum resigned after making controversial remarks over the US extradition request for a top Huawei executive. AFP
John McCallum resigned after making controversial remarks over the US extradition request for a top Huawei executive. AFP

Canada’s prime minister fires his ambassador to China


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Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fired his ambassador to China after the envoy said it would be “great” if the US dropped its extradition request for a Chinese tech executive arrested in Canada.

Mr Trudeau said that he had asked for and accepted John McCallum's resignation on Friday night.

Mr McCallum made the remark to the Toronto Star on Friday. That came a day after he issued a statement saying he misspoke about the case earlier in the week and regretted saying Meng Wanzhou has a strong case against extradition.

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Read more:

US to seek extradition of Huawei CFO detained in Canada

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The arrest of the daughter of the founder of Huawei Technologies Ltd at Vancouver’s airport on December 1 severely damaged relations between China and Canada.

The US wants her extradited to face charges that she committed fraud by misleading banks about Huawei’s business dealings in Iran.

“Last night I asked for and accepted John McCallum’s resignation as Canada’s ambassador to China,” Mr Trudeau said in a statement.

Mr Trudeau said Jim Nickel, the deputy head of mission at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, would represent his government in China. He thanked Mr McCallum, a former minister in Mr Trudeau’s cabinet, for his 20 years of public service.

China detained two Canadians shortly after Meng’s arrest in an apparent attempt to pressure Canada to release her. A Chinese court also sentenced a Canadian to death in a sudden retrial of a drug case, overturning a 15-year prison term handed down earlier.

Mr McCallum told Chinese media in the Toronto area earlier in the week that the extradition of Meng to the United States “would not be a happy outcome.”

He suggested the case was politically motivated and said the US could make a trade deal with China in which it would no longer seek her extradition, and two Canadian detained in China could then be released.

But on Thursday Mr McCallum walked back the remarks and said he “misspoke.”

Mr Trudeau had earlier dismissed calls to fire Mr McCallum, but he clearly had enough after the envoy spoke off script again. Mr Trudeau and foreign minister Chrystia Freeland have stressed that Canada's government cannot interfere politically in the case.

The leader of the opposition Conservative Party, Andrew Scheer, said Mr McCallum should have been fired days ago because his remarks raised concerns about the politicisation of the Meng case.

Mr Scheer said Mr McCallum caused damage to Canada’s reputation by delivering different messages through different media on different days.

Mr McCallum’s remarks surprised many and fuelled speculation that Canada might be trying to send a signal to China to reduce tensions.

A year ago, Mr McCallum also made controversial comments about how Canada had more in common with China than the United States under Donald Trump.

Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said he felt bad for Mr McCallum but said it was the right thing to do.

“What is worse is this is happening in the middle of the crisis when we need all-hands on deck,” Mr Saint-Jacques said.

He said the Chinese will now know that Mr McCallum was not speaking for the Canadian government.

Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Mr Trudeau, said “Mr McCallum’s remarks were continuing to cause confusion about Canada’s position. On a matter of this importance, the Canadian government has to speak with a single, clear voice.”

Robert Bothwell, a professor at the University of Toronto, said it is not an ambassador’s job to speak out of turn.

“Of course, McCallum can obviously take refuge in arguing that what he said was largely true, but he can’t escape the fact that it wasn’t his job to say it. It does underline the hazards of sending a politician to do a diplomat’s job,” Mr Bothwell said.

Mr Saint-Jacques said he spoke to China’s consul general in Montreal on Thursday who reported that China is furious at Canada for arresting Meng on behalf of the US, which is involved in a trade talks with China.

Mr Saint-Jacques said the consul general told him he thinks a Canadian delegation should visit Beijing for talks. Mr Saint-Jacques believes Canada should appoint a special envoy to try to resolve the crisis.

Mr Trudeau and Ms Freeland have stressed that Canada has an extradition treaty with the US that it must respect.

Meng is out on bail in Vancouver awaiting her extradition proceedings. The US has until Wednesday to submit paperwork for the extradition request.

Huawei has close ties to China’s military and is considered one of the country’s most successful international enterprises.

The BIO:

He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal

He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side

By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam

Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border

He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push

His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

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Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

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Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES

UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)

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  • Thursday 20 January: v England 
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UAE squad:

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Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.

Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.

Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.

Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.

The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible

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Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm

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Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km

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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”