Trudeau Wins Canada Election but Falls Short of Majority. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party are projected to win the country’s general election but without a parliamentary majority.
According to projections by Canadian public broadcaster CBC, the Liberals are set to retain power and form a minority government.
The result will be disappointing for the Liberals, who had hoped to secure a parliamentary majority to help push through their agenda. Mr Trudeau’s party has ruled Canada since 2015.
Reports say the Liberals did best in the populous provinces of Ontario and Quebec, while the opposition Conservatives are on track to see gains in the Atlantic provinces. The left-wing NDP is also set to make gains, though less than they had hoped. It’s been a bad night for the separatist Bloc Québécois, though, who are on track to lose a handful of seats.
The results are sure to raise questions for Prime Minister Trudeau, who called the election two years early in the hopes of securing a majority. Mr Trudeau has faced sharp criticism for the decision, especially as it comes amid a fourth wave of the pandemic in Canada.
Meanwhile in Russia, President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has won that country’s election with a majority amid claims of widespread ballot stuffing and forced voting. The country’s Communist Party came in second, with around 19% of the vote.
It all comes ahead of the year’s most anticipated election in Germany later this week. Sunday’s vote will determine the makeup of the country’s parliament, the Bundestag, whose first business will be to appoint a new Chancellor. Current Chancellor Angela Merkel is stepping down after 16 years in power.
US to Ease Restrictions on EU Arrivals
The United States has announced it will lift Covid-related travel restrictions on vaccinated arrivals from the European Union.
Under plans announced by the White House on Monday, travellers from the EU will not face quarantine or testing requirements when arriving by air in the US, provided they have proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 and a negative Covid test no more than three days before arrival.
Travellers arriving from the UK, China, and several other countries are also seeing restrictions lifted.
Europeans have faced tough quarantine and testing requirements since then-President Donald Trump first imposed restrictions on March 15th, 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic.
Migration Crisis is „Organised Provocation”: PM
The Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has criticised what he called an „organised provocation” by Belarus amid a worsening migration crisis at the border.
Speaking in a press conference on Monday, the PM said border services had detected more than 4000 illegal crossing attempts this month alone – a sharp increase over August. He added that Poland would dispatch 500 additional troops to assist with securing the 400km border.
Mr Morawiecki went on to accuse Belarus of orchestrating the crisis to destabilise Poland and the EU. He said Poland had camera and drone footage of Belarusian border guards transporting migrants to the border.
The Prime Minister also confirmed the tragic news that three migrants had been found dead at the border, apparently suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion. He added that Polish services were working to identify the deceased and were assisting others.
With weather in the area dropping close to freezing overnight, it’s increasingly urgent that a solution to the crisis be found quickly.
Gdansk Main Station Reopening Delayed
Gdansk’s railway users today as the city’s central station is set to remain closed for months to come.
According to reports from city website Gdansk.pl, the renovation of the station is taking longer than expected and could keep the station out of use well into 2022.
The historic station has been undergoing a PLN 100 million renovation since spring 2020 and had been due to reopen late this year. But Polish Railways now says renovation works could take until Autumn of next year, pointing to unforeseen extra work needed on the 120-year-old station.
The renovation is set to fully modernise the building as well as restoring historical features including stained glass windows, patterned tile roofs, and historically inspired lighting.
Weather
Clouding over as we go into the afternoon with a cool 14°C, 57°F, on the thermometer.
Staying dry this afternoon but a chance for some rain later on this evening.
Largely the same outlook tomorrow, with cool, cloudy days forecast through to the weekend.
Thomas Holdstock/MarWer
