麻豆影视

Canada

    • Russian troops planted mines in Ukraine's fields to ruin harvest: Sajjan

    Share

    Russian troops have planted mines in Ukrainian fields to prevent farmers from cultivating their crops, International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan has been told.

    Speaking after a meeting of G7 development ministers in Berlin, Sajjan said the Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told them how Russian troops mined fields to prevent farmers growing food.

    Russian soldiers were also stealing Ukraine's food stores, reminding Ukrainians of the 鈥渢error famine鈥 of the 1930s when Stalin demanded Ukraine's grain and available food.

    The international development minister, who is heading to Africa today for talks about food security, said the situation is 鈥渄ire鈥 and everything must be done to help free Ukraine's wheat stores to feed the developing world.

    He plans to speak to his successor as defence minister, Anita Anand, about sending Canadian experts to help demine Ukrainian fields.

    鈥淚 will be talking to Minister Anand about that and how we and other NATO allies can support with clearing up some of those fields,鈥 he said.

    Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said when she visited Ukraine earlier this month she was warned that Russian troops had planted mines in playgrounds, parks and around people's houses.

    She was told not to step off the sidewalk in Irpin, a suburb of the capital Kyiv, as Russian troops had buried so many mines before they retreated.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced during the visit to Ukraine with Joly that Canada will donate $2 million to the HALO Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to mine clearance, to help Ukraine.

    Heather McPherson, NDP international development critic, said Canada, which has expertise in demining, should help make Ukraine's fields safe for farmers so they can plant and harvest their crops.

    In an interview, Sajjan warned that Russia is also spreading disinformation in the developing world blaming the West for higher food prices and shortages following Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

    This is deliberate, Sajjan said, to increase Putin's sphere of influence in Africa and other regions.

    Joly said Putin, and not Western sanctions levelled at Russia, were to blame for the global food crisis in remarks in a debate in the UN Security Council in New York on Thursday.

    鈥淲e have made enormous inroads into hunger over recent decades, but all these gains are rolling back,鈥 she said, because of climate change, COVID-19 and conflict.

    The foreign minister said hunger and the humanitarian crisis were greater than anything seen in recent years.

    鈥淢ost recently, we are seeing how President Putin's invasion of Ukraine is directly accelerating this trend. And let me be clear: Russia's invasion is to blame, not the sanctions,鈥 she said.

    She said the conflict in Ukraine is 鈥渢he greatest shock to global food systems - already fragile - in the past 12 years.鈥

    鈥淚n attacking one of the breadbaskets of the world and seeking to cut off Ukraine's economy, Russia is destroying Ukraine's capacity to supply the world with food,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t is blockading Ukraine's ports, displacing farmers and workers, ravaging its farmlands, and attacking civilian infrastructure on a massive scale.鈥

    Ukraine is one of the world's biggest grain exporters but it is unable to export grain to its markets, including in developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, following Russia's invasion.

    Lebanon, Bangladesh and countries in North Africa are among Ukraine's biggest customers for wheat, a staple food.

    Sajjan said the blockade by Russia of the Ukrainian port of Odesa would exacerbate world food shortages and there is an urgent need to 鈥済et the grain out.鈥

    鈥淭he whole world, including Africa, needs to send a message to Putin to allow the port to be opened so that the grain can come out,鈥 he said. He warned that a world food shortage could fuel conflicts.

    McPherson said Canada needs to up its contributions to developing nations and aid agencies to stave off hunger and even worse future crises, including conflict over food resources.

    鈥淲e can pay more now or a thousand times more down the road,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e have conflict that is happening in Ukraine which will lead to more conflict around the world. It's a vicious circle鈥

    Julie Marshall of the UN World Food Program said there have been steep rises in international prices of staple foods including wheat and maize, with soaring international fuel prices making the situation worse.

    Together, Ukraine and Russia account for 30 per cent of global wheat exports, 20 per cent of global maize exports, and 76 per cent of sunflower supplies, according to the UN.

    Joly said earlier this week that Canada is preparing to send its ships to Romanian ports and other European countries to transport Ukrainian wheat out to beat Putin's blockade.

    Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has also been in talks with her G7 counterparts about food aid for the developing world, as well as help for Ukraine.

    But she has warned that Canada and the U.S. had a weak harvest last year because of a drought, so stocks of grain were lower than usual.

    Sajjan said if not enough wheat is available, Canada may be able to send stores of other food, including potatoes and carrots, to help countries stave off hunger.

    Get in touch

    Do you have any questions about the attack on Ukraine? Email dotcom@bellmedia.ca.

    • Please include your name, location, and contact information if you are willing to speak to a journalist with 麻豆影视.
    • Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2022.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

    Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

    The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

    A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

    • Weather watchers were treated to an exceptionally rare display on Friday evening as rare cloud formations filled Vancouver skies.

    • For some shoppers it was Nov. 1, but for others the first hints of Christmas - saccharine treats, festive-fragranced candles and gaudily wrapped gift sets - were being noticed in stores long before the final Halloween decor had been cleared.

    • Thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Vancouver on Monday to observe the city鈥檚 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

    • Toronto is expected to see an economic boost to the tune of nearly $300 million thanks to Taylor Swift鈥檚 upcoming Eras Tour, which will be making a stop in Canada鈥檚 largest city for a six-show run later this month.

    • One man was transported to hospital early Monday morning after a stabbing in the northwest end of the city, Toronto police say.

    • A pair of 105-mm howitzers bark constantly as they turn plywood tank targets into kindling kilometres away on the windswept landscape of one of Canada's largest military bases.

    • Two semis were among the vehicles involved in a multi-vehicle crash that brought westbound traffic along Stoney Trail Northwest to a standstill on Sunday.

    • More than 700 people danced, ate, and sang to celebrate Diwali Saturday night at the Genesis Centre in northeast Calgary.

    • NEW THIS MORNING

      NEW THIS MORNING

      An Ottawa boy with a rare disease will be getting the chance to see Taylor Swift in concert after the winner and organizers of an auction held on his behalf gifted the tickets to him.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.

    • After months of controversy surrounding a dog park in Ottawa's west end, a solution has been reached to divide the park in half.

    • An elementary school in Greenfield Park on Montreal鈥檚 South Shore is closed after it was the target of an alleged arson attack.

    • Some 12,000 daycare workers are set to begin their strike action Monday morning.

    • Two vehicles were set on fire in Montreal鈥檚 east end Riviere-des-Prairies neighbourhood.

    • Monday is Remembrance Day, a time to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.

    • Boasting 2,300 square metres of skating space at its new location, Edmonton's Rollers Roller Rink believes it is the largest in Canada.

    • A woman is dead after a driver crashed a truck through a Boston Pizza in Fort McMurray late Saturday morning.

    • A Cape Breton senior recalls her life in German-occupied France, and her mother鈥檚 death, during the Second World War.

    • It's been a trip to cherish for a group of Canadians visiting Belgium this week to honour the legacy of Indigenous soldiers.

    • A pillar in Canada鈥檚 history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.

    • Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.

    • There will be two ceremonies taking place in Regina for Remembrance Day, hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book 鈥榃ar Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.鈥

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • A man has been charged after a stabbing at an apartment building in Kitchener.

    • The Guelph Police Service is putting out a warning after two deaths in the downtown area.

    • Two new tributes to Canada鈥檚 veterans have been unveiled at the Elmira Cenotaph.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • Emergency crews responded to the scene on Road 68/Highway 2 east of Thamesford around 7 p.m.

    • On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.

    • The events will start at 10:15 a.m. with a parade that forms up in front of the Delta London Armories, marches east on Dundas Street and turns north onto Waterloo Street to Dufferin Avenue, the west to the Cenotaph.

    • A group of former NHL players faced off against York Regional Police officers in Newmarket Sunday afternoon to raise funds for Special Olympics programs across the province.

    • A driver is facing multiple charges after a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 400 early Sunday morning.

    • The agreed statement of facts was read to the court on Friday in the case of Alex Williams, the 24-year-old jail guard charged last fall with smuggling cannabis and tobacco into Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene.

    • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

    • More details have been released about a police investigation at the Ambassador Bridge that connects Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, MI.

    • An individual is dead following a collision involving a motorcycle in Kingsville.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.

    • Residents in the Sault expressed concerns ranging from vandalism to privacy invasions during recent consultations on the city's plan to install automated speed enforcement cameras.

    N.L.

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    Politics

    • Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视