Monday Briefing: Violence Continues in Syria

Syria’s chief known as for unity

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, appealed yesterday for calm and unity after violence erupted final week between fighters affiliated along with his authorities and people loyal to the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Greater than 1,000 individuals have been killed, together with about 700 civilians, principally by authorities forces, based on the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The knowledge couldn’t be independently verified.

“We name on Syrians to be reassured as a result of the nation has the basics for survival,” al-Shara mentioned. His remarks got here as new preventing was reported in the Latakia and Tartus Provinces. Later in the day, he mentioned a fact-finding committee had been fashioned to research the violence and produce these accountable to justice. It was unclear whether or not al-Shara was acknowledging attainable killings by the hands of his forces or laying the blame completely on al-Assad loyalists.

Context: The preventing broke out on Thursday when armed males loyal to al-Assad ambushed authorities safety forces in Latakia Province, setting off days of clashes. The violence has been the worst for the reason that Assad authorities was ousted in early December.

Response: 1000’s protested in the streets in the primary wide-scale demonstrations towards the brand new authorities. Residents have been ordered to remain indoors as safety forces scrambled to comprise the turmoil. Right here’s what else we all know.

Elsewhere in the area: Israel’s power minister mentioned that he was instantly slicing off electrical energy to the Gaza Strip.

Canada’s Liberals headed to the polls

Canadian elections have been happening yesterday, with two centrist policymakers vying to succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as chief of each the Liberal Get together and the nation. The winner should name a common election, which should be held by October, however might happen sooner. Outcomes have been anticipated round 6:30 p.m. Jap time.

The race is successfully between Mark Carney, the previous governor of the Financial institution of Canada and the Financial institution of England, and Chrystia Freeland, the previous finance minister. Surveys have proven Carney because the front-runner.

Our Canada bureau chief, Matina Stevis-Gridneff, informed me that the U.S. is front-and-center on the poll field.

“Voters are on the lookout for somebody to deal with negotiations with President Trump, whom they view as the most important menace to Canada’s financial system and sovereignty,” Matina mentioned. She added that polling instructed voters favor Carney and Freeland to barter with Trump over the Conservative chief, Pierre Poilievre.

“Trump’s persistent threats to Canada have labored towards Poilievre who, regardless of being a mainstream Conservative politician, is seen as too ideologically near Trump for consolation,” Matina mentioned.

Get to know the candidates: Carney has pitched himself because the fix-it man who can set Canada again on observe. Freeland’s possibilities might hinge on whether or not voters take into account Trump’s dislike of her an asset.

China hit again at Canada with tariffs, and a warning

China introduced this weekend tariffs of as much as one hundred pc on canola, pork and different meals from Canada. The transfer was retaliation for Canada’s resolution final August to gather steep taxes on imports of Chinese language electrical autos, metal and aluminum.

The tariffs, which take impact on March 20, have been additionally a transparent warning to Canada — and, not directly, Mexico — to not cooperate with the U.S. on commerce.

Extra on Trump

The value of a beef Bourguignon, the signature dish at Le Bouillon Chartier in Paris, has remained low at this working-class eatery — somebody on a dwelling wage can benefit from the meal for lower than what they earn in an hour.

As inflation has hammered Europe, the restaurant’s proprietor has minimize into margins to maintain the menu reasonably priced, however making beef Bourguignon now prices almost double what it used to. Companies throughout the continent are feeling an analogous squeeze.

Lives lived: Uri Shulevitz, a youngsters’s ebook writer who turned childhood recollections of fleeing the Nazis in Poland into magical tales, died at 89.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

E book festivals are the most well liked golf equipment in city

Literature occasions in India are blooming, pushed by younger people who find themselves studying books in the nation’s dozens of native tongues. The gatherings give attendees the prospect to discover new matters, meet favourite authors or just try the scene.

Readers and writers collect in rural cities or inside storied palaces for an intimate affair or, in the case of an occasion in Jaipur, they mingle amongst tens of 1000’s of individuals. A way of mental “cred” has helped the festivals give Bollywood and cricket a run for his or her cash.

For these readers, books open worlds that India’s increased schooling system, with its concentrate on make-or-break examinations, typically doesn’t. Learn in regards to the festivals right here.