Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with Minister of Finance Bill Morneau during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. AFP
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with Minister of Finance Bill Morneau during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. AFP
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with Minister of Finance Bill Morneau during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. AFP
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with Minister of Finance Bill Morneau during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. AFP

Justin Trudeau faces ethics questions after charity conflict of interest


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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is due to face the Parliament's finance committee after conflict of interest accusations involving coronavirus funds.

Mr Trudeau could be subjected to penalties over his ties with the WE Charity, which won a contract to run a C$900 million (Dh2.47 billion/$674.6m) programme to help students find work during the coronavirus outbreak.

Although a time and date has not been set for Mr Trudeau’s appearance, it is likely to be this week.

Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau is also involved in the scandal and apologised for accepting travel expenses paid for by the charity. Last week he said he had repaid C$41,366.

Mr Trudeau's brother and mother had already received speaking fees from WE, which also employs one of Mr Morneau's daughters.

The affair is hurting the popularity of the ruling Liberals, leading some to call for Mr Trudeau’s resignation.

Mr Morneau said he had written a cheque last week to cover the costs of expenses WE paid during private trips he and his family took to Kenya and Ecuador.

He said the matter was an oversight and insisting he had always intended to pay the full cost.

"Not doing so, even unknowingly, is not appropriate. I want to apologise for this error," Mr Morneau told the committee.

The main opposition Conservative Party expressed disbelief and called on him to resign.

"Do you expect us to believe that it is a mere coincidence that you repaid over C$41,000 on the same day you were expected to testify under oath about it?" Conservative legislator Pierre Poilievre asked.

Mr Trudeau and Mr Morneau have apologised for not recusing themselves during Cabinet discussions on the choice of WE to receive coronavirus funds.

The charity later walked away from the contract.

Mr Morneau, 57, is a multimillionaire who has been finance minister since November 2015.

He was fined by the ethics commissioner in 2017 for not declaring a French villa he owns.

The WE Charity, formerly known as Free the Children, was founded by brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger 25 years ago.

The latest scandal adds to the list of ethical issues Mr Trudeau has faced during his time in office, including riding in a helicopter belonging to the Aga Khan, whose organisation has benefited from millions of dollars in Canadian federal grants.

His government was also found to have pressured the country’s attorney general not to prosecute Canadian engineering giant SNC Lavalin for bribery.

Mr Trudeau has been criticised for wearing blackface on three different occasions, for which he later apologised.

"I shouldn't have done that. I should have known better and I didn't. I'm really sorry," he told Time Magazine after the photos emerged.

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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

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Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

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The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors

Transmission: two-speed

Power: 671hp

Torque: 1050Nm

Range: 450km

Price: Dh601,800

On sale: now

The White Lotus: Season three

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Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

The five pillars of Islam
Tips for job-seekers
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

Profile

Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari

Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.

Number of employees: Over 50

Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised

Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital 

Sector of operation: Transport

THE SPECS

Touareg Highline

Engine: 3.0-litre, V6

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 340hp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh239,312

Henrik Stenson's finishes at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship:

2006 - 2
2007 - 8
2008 - 2
2009 - MC
2010 - 21
2011 - 42
2012 - MC
2013 - 23
2014 - MC
2015 - MC
2016 - 3
2017 - 8

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

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Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

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The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
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Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The essentials

What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

When: Friday until March 9

Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City

Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.

Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.

Information: www.emirateslitfest.com