Can't breathe? For LRT riders stressed by crowds, there's support - CBC.ca

As locals adjust to light rail commutes, stymied by door jams and overcrowding, an Ottawa mental health hotline wants passengers to know it's there for them.

Anyone feeling anxiety, claustrophobia or other issues triggered by the new LRT system can get in touch with the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region — right from the payphones in the LRT stations.

"It can feel like a weight is on your chest. It can feel like you can't take a deep enough breath. You can start to sweat," said spokesperson Leslie Scott, describing what anxiety can feel like on mass transit.

"Our first and foremost message is we're here."

Riders on the Confederation Line faced lengthy delays Tuesday and Wednesday, due to jammed train doors. In both cases, OC Transpo had to run back-up buses to get commuters — who converged in the hundreds at some stations — on their way. 

"I wouldn't be surprised hearing people have had a lot of anxiety," said Kanata commuter Samantha Sensenstein.

Samantha Sensenstein (bottom left) takes a selfie Wednesday morning at Tunney's Pasture station in Ottawa. (supplied by Samantha Sensenstein)

'Absolutely madness'

The 23-year-old travels from her home near Hazeldean Road to Carleton University. On both Tuesday and Wednesday she got "sardined" in, she said, with hundreds of others at Tunney's Pasture station.

Sensenstein saw riders vent their frustrations out loud, cut through crowds and elbow their way onto buses.

"It was just absolutely madness," Sensenstein said. "It was absolutely packed full and I didn't really feel like it was safe."

A new partnership between the Ottawa Distress Centre and OC Transpo supports anxious commuters. 5:09

 Juliett Bassong's trip Wednesday morning from St-Laurent station to Rideau was similarly unpleasant.

"I was anxious because we were so packed. It's ridiculous. There's no room. You can't breathe," Bassong said.

The distress centre has a partnership with OC Transpo where LRT riders can call the 24-hour hotline for free, in French or English, directly using the payphones located on station platforms.

Passengers on the Confederation Line can contact the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region by pressing the bottom, far-right buttons on payphones at station platforms. (Laura Glowacki/CBC)

Initially for suicide prevention

The hotline was first installed as a suicide prevention service, Scott said, but is available for any and all mental health concerns.

"We're talking to people that may just have had a really rough day at work. They're getting to the platform. It's busy. They're stressed out and they just want to talk to somebody before they get going home," she said. 

"You have live support right away for whatever you're experiencing."

The centre has received six calls from passengers since the Confederation Line went into service Sept. 14, said Scott. She believes many more people could benefit if they only knew the line exists.

Along with calling the centre, Scott suggests people experiencing anxiety to practice a little self-care.

That might include putting in earbuds and listening to calming music and podcasts, she said, or performing deep-breathing exercises.

Anyone in the Ottawa area can call the distress line for free at 613-238-3311.

People in the Outaouais can reach the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region by calling 1-866-676-1080, toll-free. 

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October 10, 2019 at 03:00PM

U.S. weighing China currency pact as part of partial trade deal: Bloomberg - Reuters

(Reuters) - The United States is weighing a currency pact with China as part of a partial deal that could see a planned tariff hike next week being suspended, Bloomberg reported bloom.bg/35vnu7g on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the talks.

The White House is looking to roll out a formerly agreed currency pact with China as part of what it regards as a first-phase agreement with Beijing, according to the report, which added that it will be followed by further talks on issues like forced technology transfers and intellectual property.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shri Navaratnam

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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October 10, 2019 at 08:37AM

Posthaste: Loonie to nosedive to 72 cents as resilience fades — and Canadians warm to weed - Financial Post

Good Morning!

Once again cannabis producers are taking it on the chin. Yesterday Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. fell 24% to a record low after reporting it was looking at alternative financing options to finish construction projects in Ontario and Quebec after unsuccessful discussions for commercial bank facilities and equipment leasing.

Then this morning Canadian cannabis producer Hexo Corp. said it was withdrawing its financial outlook for 2020, sending the stock down 13% in premarket trading. “Fourth quarter revenue is below our expectation and guidance, primarily due to lower than expected product sell through,” said Hexo CEO Sebastien St-Louis in a statement. “Slower than expected store rollouts, a delay in government approval for cannabis derivative products and early signs of pricing pressure are being felt nationally. The delay in retail store openings in our major markets has meant that the access to a majority of the target customers has been limited.”

Last Friday Hexo said its CFO had resigned effective immediately, leading Bank of America Merrill Lynch to downgrade the stock. Hexo will report complete financial results for the year ended July 31, 2019 on Oct. 24.

The loonie has had a good year, rising despite the price of oil remaining mostly unchanged. But don’t look for that to last in the final quarter, Capital Economics market economist Simona Gambarini predicts. Capital expects the currencies of Canada, Australia and New Zealand to drop 3% to 5% as a sell-off in global stock markets in the last quarter sends investors back to the safe haven of the greenback. That would put the Canadian dollar at 72.99 US cents. (today’s it’s 75.10). Capital sees the three currencies stabilizing in the new year, but gains will be small mostly because expectations for interest rates will work against them. Capital forecasts the Fed to only cut another 25bp by the end of 2020, much less than the 80bp of cuts currently priced in the markets. As a result the Canadian dollar should end 2020 at 75.75 US cents, about where it is now.

Cannabis has been legal for almost a year, and Canadians appear to be warming up to the idea. Online real estate site Zoocasa found in a recent survey that 43% of respondents agreed they would be comfortable with a marijuana dispensary operating near their home, compared to 31% who indicated that last year. Mind you, much depends on whether you own the property. 56% of renters agreed they would be comfortable, compared to just 36% of homeowners. The stigma around growing cannabis at home also eased. Asked if even a legal amount of the drug grown on the premises would dissuade respondents from buying it, 48% of Canadians agreed, down from 52% in 2018.

Here’s what’s you need to know this morning:

• French-language federal leaders debate at 8 p.m. ET
• Ontario’s Minister of Finance Rod Phillips looks at the state of the province’s fiscal outlook and the government’s plan for Ontario.
• Canadian Wind Energy Association 35th annual CanWEA conference and exhibition in Calgary
• Corporate events: Onex Corp. holds investor day
• Notable earnings: Delta Air Lines
• Today’s data: Canada new housing price index, U.S. CPI

Ouch, did you get burned? Since recreational cannabis became legal almost a year ago (Oct. 17) shares of the initial top 10 Canadian cannabis producers by market cap have yielded an average negative return of more than 57%. Six of those 10 lost at least half their value, and only one, Cronos Group, has actually grown its market cap. Before legalization, writes the FP’s Victor Ferreira, stocks soared on promises of massive growth and the momentum of retail investors coming on the scene. As the chart below shows that rush is over, and according to GMP portfolio manager Chris Kerlow, it is unlikely to return. “I think many investors are now over (cannabis),” he said.

— Please send your news, comments and stories to pheaven@postmedia.com. — Pamela Heaven @pamheaven

With files from The Canadian Press, Thomson Reuters and Bloomberg

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October 10, 2019 at 08:00PM

After China Objects, Apple Removes App Used By Hong Kong Protesters - NPR

Enlarge this image

A protester in Hong Kong checks his phone for police activity during a protest against the government in Hong Kong's New Territories, in August. Aidan Marzo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption

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Aidan Marzo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Apple has removed from its App Store a smartphone app used by Hong Kong pro-democracy activists to crowdsource the location of protesters and police, after Chinese state media suggested the tech giant was aiding "rioters."

Apple initially rejected the app last week, saying that it "encourages an activity that is not legal," and allows users to "evade law enforcement," according to its developers.

"Your app contains content - or facilitates, enables, and encourages an activity - that is not legal ... Specifically, the app allowed users to evade law enforcement."@Apple assume our user are lawbreakers and therefore evading law enforcement, which is clearly not the case.

— HKmap.live 全港抗爭即時地圖 (@hkmaplive) October 1, 2019

Nonetheless, HKmap.live did briefly become available in the App Store before Apple announced Wednesday that it was being removed.

"We have learned that an app, HKmap.live, has been used in ways that endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong," Apple said in a statement. "Many concerned customers in Hong Kong have contacted us about this app and we immediately began investigating it."

The app, it said, "has been used to target and ambush police, threaten public safety, and criminals have used it to victimize residents in areas where they know there is no law enforcement."

HKmap.live reportedly consolidates reports from social media and then uses the information to plot the locations of protests and such information as where police are using tear gas.

The protesters have staged months of protests in the former British colony, demanding universal suffrage and the right to choose Hong Kong's leadership. The level of violence has grown in recent weeks, with protesters wrecking store fronts and hurling gasoline bombs. Police have responded with tear gas, batons and, in some cases, live ammunition.

On Wednesday, an editorial that appeared in China's official People's Daily called out developers of HKmap.live for providing a "'navigation service' for the rioters."

"Apple chose to approve the app in the App Store in Hong Kong at this point," the editorial said. "Does this mean Apple intended to be an accomplice to the rioters?"

"[P]eople have reason to assume that Apple is mixing business with politics, and even illegal acts," it said. "Apple has to think about the consequences of its unwise and reckless decision."

Responding to Apple's decision to withdraw the app, its developers, who have not identified themselves because of security concerns, responded in a series of tweets on Thursday, reports The South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based English-language daily.

"We once believed the App rejection [was] simply a bureaucratic f up but now it is clearly a political decision to suppress freedom and human rights in Hong Kong," the developers said, according to the Post.

Although HKmap.live has been removed from Apple's App Store, it remains available on an independent website.

The Hong Kong unrest is a sensitive issue in Beijing and anyone seen as showing sympathy or support for the protesters has come in for sharp criticism.

Earlier this week, Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey touched off a heated controversy by tweeting support for the Hong Kong protesters.

Although he quickly deleted the tweet and expressed contrition, that didn't stop the Chinese Basketball Association from suspending its business dealings with the Rockets. Tencent, a Chinese media partner with the NBA in China, also ended a streaming deal worth $1.5 billion and China's state television said it would stop airing Rockets games.

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https://www.npr.org/2019/10/10/768841864/after-china-objects-apple-removes-app-used-by-hong-kong-protesters

2019-10-10 10:21:00Z
52780405656458

Wall Street Breakfast: First U.S.-China Trade Talks Since July - Seeking Alpha

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Wall Street Breakfast: First U.S.-China Trade Talks Since July  Seeking Alpha
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4295869-wall-street-breakfast-first-u-s-china-trade-talks-since-july

2019-10-10 10:37:00Z
CAIiEJLYxrU6h8CNegjXm0Z5pfQqFggEKg0IACoGCAowkqEGMJBZMPHguwY

Apple removes Hong Kong protest app following Chinese pressure - Engadget

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Tyrone Siu / Reuters

Apple's complex relationship with China has made the headlines again. Just a day after Chinese state media criticized the company for allowing HKmap in its App Store -- and a week after Apple flip flopped on its initial decision to delist the app -- the crowdsourced map app has been removed, again sparking concerns that Apple is pandering to China's political regime.

The app, which shares information on the location of pro-democracy protests and police activity in Hong Kong, was slammed by China Daily -- owned by the Communist Party of China -- for enabling "rioters in Hong Kong to go on violent acts," adding that Apple has to "think about the consequences of its unwise and reckless decision."

HKmap's creators, however, say that there is no evidence that the app has been used to target police or threaten public safety. They added that apps such as Waze, which use crowdsourced information to help users avoid traffic cameras and police, are still permitted on the App Store, and noted that they are sure there have been occasions where criminal activity has been discussed and encouraged on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. HKmap is still available on desktop.

Critics say that Apple's decision to remove the app is just another example of the company kowtowing to the economically influential country. Two years ago Apple pulled all the VPN apps from its App Store in China, while more recently it removed the Taiwan flag emoji from the iOS keyboards of users in Hong Kong, in a move many claim was designed to appease Apple's third biggest market.

Via: TechCrunch

In this article: App Store, apple, business, China, democracy, entertainment, gear, HKMap, Hong Kong, mobile, politics, security

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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2019-10-10 10:09:49Z
CAIiEN-eHL_acXLHUUwokEOJCTsqGAgEKg8IACoHCAowwOjjAjDp3xswicOyAw

Trump reportedly makes concessions to China before trade talks - Aljazeera.com

With trade talks between the United States and China resuming this week, the US appears to have made some concessions that could help reduce tensions between the world's top two economies.

The New York Times newspaper reported that the US was considering issuing licences to American companies allowing them to supply non-sensitive components to Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. In May, US President Donald Trump had proposed to ban Huawei from buying parts and technology from US suppliers citing national security concerns.

But the paper, citing unidentified sources, says Trump gave the green light in early October for the issuance of licences to US companies to supply Huawei with some equipment.

The top negotiators from the two sides are set to meet on Thursday for the first time since late July to try to find a way out of a 15-month trade war that has forced companies to alter supply chains and been a drag on the global economy.

China is urging the US to stop what it described as unreasonable pressure on Chinese companies, including Huawei, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a news briefing in Beijing ahead of the talks.

Separately, the US is also considering a currency pact with China as part of a partial trade deal, the Bloomberg news agency reported, also quoting unidentified sources.

Tariffs that are due to increase next week could also be suspended as part of this deal, it reported.

The currency accord was something the US said had been agreed to earlier in the year before trade talks broke down. It is meant to be followed by further negotiations on core issues such as intellectual property and forced technology transfers, Bloomberg reported.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is scheduled to lead the Chinese delegation in trade talks with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday and Friday in Washington, DC.

But just hours earlier, the upcoming talks were reportedly cut short by a day as lower-level discussions had failed to come to an agreement on key issues, unnamed sources told the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

One of the stumbling blocks was the issue of forced technology transfers, which the Chinese delegation refused to broach, SCMP reported.

The discussions concerning an interim deal come after the Trump administration this week further ramped up pressure on Beijing by blacklisting Chinese technology firms over their alleged role in oppression in the far west region of Xinjiang. The US also placed visa bans on officials linked to the mass detention of Muslims from the region.

At the same time, a fight over free speech between China and the US National Basketball Association (NBA), triggered by a tweet by the Houston Rockets general manager backing Hong Kong’s protesters, has underscored the tensions.

Tariffs are working: US

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said on Thursday that tariffs on Chinese goods and services are working as they are forcing China to pay attention to US concerns.

Ross said the US would have preferred not to implement tariffs against Chinese goods more than a year ago, which ignited a trade war that slowed global commerce and threatened decades-old systems, but added that it has forced Beijing into action.

"We do not love tariffs, in fact, we would prefer not to use them, but after years of discussions and no action, tariffs are finally forcing China to pay attention to our concerns," Ross said in a speech while on an official visit to Australia.

Without a significant breakthrough, Trump is set to raise the tariff rate on $250bn worth of Chinese goods by an extra five percent to 30 percent next Tuesday.

Further tariffs are scheduled to come into effect on December 15.

On Wednesday, a Chinese official said that the country was still open to reaching a partial trade deal with the US that may include large purchases of US commodities, but added that success was contingent on Trump halting further tariffs.

Ross added that the US was "not opposed" to trade with China but said that China's trade practices have "gotten worse" and that the country needed to abide by global trade regulations.

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2019-10-10 08:43:00Z
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