The Sunday Magazine for April 20, 2025
The federal election campaign enters its final stretch
With two debates down and one week to go in the federal election campaign, The Economist's Rob Russo, Le Devoir's Emilie Nicolas and Real Talk's Ryan Jespersen join Chattopadhyay to break down the state of the race and stakes for major party leaders as the 2025 election nears the finish line.
Finding the funny in news satire when real life is no joke
For people who work in the business of political satire and news comedy, there's no shortage of rich source material these days. But misinformation, disinformation and leaders who can seem stranger than fiction are complicating the craft. Chattopadhyay speaks with two veterans of the scene – The Beaverton 's Luke Gordon Field and a founding member of The Onion, Christine Wenc – about the challenges of skewering the news today, and how satire can help people make sense of the absurdity of real life.
What the first and last words we speak say about us
We may think of them as the most cherished or meaningful words we'll ever speak: Our first words as a baby, and our last words before we die. But as linguist Michael Erard explores in his book Bye Bye, I Love You, the significance of them varies according to culture and history, and their meaning is often supplied more by the listener than the speaker. He tells Chattopadhyay that they are nevertheless truly powerful, marking the beginning and end of our life connecting with others.
50 years ago, the Khmer Rouge began its reign of terror in Cambodia. Justice remains elusive
April 17, 1975, marked the start of Year Zero, the attempt by the Khmer Rouge and its leader Pol Pot to "reset" Cambodia and fashion it into a new Communist society by purging swaths of culture, traditions and people. An estimated 1.5 to two million Cambodians were killed and hundreds of thousands fled to other countries, including Canada. The Sunday Magazine senior producer Howard Goldenthal looks at the legacy of that time, and how far we've come in attempts to pursue justice for war crimes since then.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
JP Saxe highlights tough economics of concert tours, saying his shows are in jeopardy
TORONTO – JP Saxe is telling fans his upcoming concert tour may be cancelled due to slow ticket sales. The Toronto singer-songwriter took to his social media platforms this week with a direct plea to listeners, offering rare insight into the touring economics for some musicians who aren't at the superstar heights of fame. Saxe is best known for his 2019 smash pop single 'If the World Was Ending' with Julia Michaels and he's released a consistent flow of popular tracks since, including 'Hey Stupid, I Love You' and 'I Don't Miss You.' But he said earlier this week that if he didn't sell '20 or so thousand tickets' to his upcoming Make Yourself at Home tour within 48 hours, it'll likely be scrapped. His post has racked up 1.5 million views on TikTok and more than 10,000 likes on Instagram. Saxe is currently scheduled to play more than 25 dates across North America, including stops in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. The ticket prices start at around $50. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. He posted a second video on Tuesday showing a crowd singing along to 'A Little Bit Yours' with the message: 'I thought it was impossible, but there's a chance you're saving this tour.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025.
Vancouver Sun
28-07-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Scare tactic or dangerous threat? Hong Kong activists living in B.C. react to police bounties
Hong Kong police have placed a bounty for information leading to the arrests of 19 pro-democracy activists living outside Hong Kong, including four in the Lower Mainland. The local residents are Victor Ho, Elsa Chain Lai Chun, Tony Lam, and Alan Keung Ka-wai. Keung and Lam were recently elected members of Hong Kong's Parliament, an expat organization that promotes democracy in Hong Kong. Keung has been in Canada for four months and is applying for refugee status. Born in Hong Kong, the 34-year-old said he has been arrested nine times by the authorities there, and jailed twice. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. He said police now want to arrest him because of his election to the Hong Kong Parliament, which was founded in Toronto in 2022. It recently conducted an online vote among the Hong Kong diaspora, and met virtually for the first time July 21. 'It's ridiculous,' said Keung, who was a pastor in a small church. 'I leave Hong Kong, I try to do something, (and) that is my freedom (to do so). Canada is a freedom of speech country, so I can say anything I want to say, I can do anything. 'The Chinese, the (Communist) government, they're doing this to me, (and) it is ridiculous. They try to control our freedom, even when we go outside to (another) country.' Keung said he is worried he could be kidnapped and brought back to Hong Kong for trial. 'Yeah … you know they have a lot of overseas police stations. Maybe my situation is kind of dangerous, maybe somebody will kidnap me or do bad things to me, secretly. '(But) we have to fight for democracy for Hong Kongers.' Keung said he hasn't been contacted by Canadian authorities about the arrest warrant in Hong Kong. But two federal cabinet ministers in Prime Minister Mark Carney's government have issued a joint condemnation of the arrest order. 'The actions taken by Hong Kong threaten the sovereignty of Canada and security of the people in this country,' said the statement by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree. 'This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct transnational repression abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated.' There are two levels of reward for information leading to the arrests of the pro-democracy activists. The reward is 200,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $25,500) for 15 people, including Keung. The 70-year-old Ho is one of four activists whose arrest reward is one million Hong Kong dollars ($127,500). But Ho doesn't seem too worried. He has been the subject of two previous orders for his arrest. 'It wouldn't happen in Canada,' said Ho, who immigrated to Canada in 1997 and became a Canadian citizen in 2001. 'I cannot imagine they would use this extreme method (kidnapping) to get me back to Hong Kong. I'm not Jimmy Lai (a businessman arrested in Hong Kong).' He thinks the order by the Hong Kong police is 'just a scare strategy' designed to intimidate supporters of the new Hong Kong Parliament. 'They issued the arrest warrant just to want to frighten,' said Ho, a former editor of the Sing Tao newspaper in Vancouver. 'They want to scare other Hong Kong fellows, 'Don't contact these fugitives and don't give money for them.'' The Hong Kong Parliament has been called a subversive organization by the Hong Kong police, and the 19 charged have been accused of violating a national security law imposed by Beijing. Ho was one of the organizers of the Hong Kong Parliament, but didn't stand for office. It is a relatively small organization — only 15,702 people voted in its election. But Ho still thinks the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities still see it as a threat. 'The nature of the Hong Kong Parliament is promoting direct elections for all Hong Kong people, (but the authorities) don't want to implement universal suffrage for Hong Kong,' said Ho. 'They fear that message will ignite political emotion in Hong Kong proper, or among the Hong Kong people (and) community around the globe.' jmackie@
Canada News.Net
27-07-2025
- Canada News.Net
Ancient temple, center of fresh Thai-Cambodia military clashes
BANGKOK, Thailand: Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire across several disputed border zones on July 24, injuring at least three civilians and escalating an already tense diplomatic standoff. The clashes followed a rapid deterioration in relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, triggered by earlier violence and political retaliation. A livestream from Thailand showed panicked residents fleeing into bunkers as explosions rang out in the morning. Fighting was reported at multiple sites along the contested frontier. The first skirmish broke out near the ancient Prasat Ta Moan Thom temple, which straddles the border between Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. Both governments blamed each other for starting the shootout. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet claimed that Thai forces attacked army positions at both Prasat Ta Moan Thom and Prasat Ta Krabey, and that the conflict then expanded toward Cambodia's Preah Vihear province and Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province. "Cambodia has always favored peaceful solutions, but this time we had no choice but to respond with force," Hun Manet said. Thailand's army reported that three civilians in Surin were injured when Cambodian artillery shells struck a residential area. Authorities said the residents were later evacuated. The gunfire came just a day after Cambodia announced it would downgrade diplomatic ties with Thailand, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling its own diplomats from Bangkok. Thailand had already closed northeastern border crossings, recalled its ambassador, and expelled Cambodia's ambassador in protest over a land mine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers. One of the wounded lost a leg. Tensions between the two nations have been climbing since May, when a Cambodian soldier was shot dead during an earlier border skirmish. Both countries lay claim to several small but strategically sensitive patches of land. According to the Thai military, the latest violence began when an unmanned drone was spotted, followed by six armed Cambodian soldiers approaching a Thai position. Thai troops reportedly tried to defuse the situation by shouting, but were fired upon instead. Cambodia's Defense Ministry insisted that its forces acted purely in self-defense against what it called a "deliberate Thai incursion." In Phnom Penh, Senate President Hun Sen urged Cambodians not to panic and to trust the government and military. Meanwhile, the Thai embassy in Cambodia warned citizens to leave the country if possible and advised against unnecessary travel due to the risk of further escalation. The latest exchange follows a series of land mine blasts in disputed regions. Just a day earlier, a mine wounded five Thai soldiers, one seriously. A week before that, three more soldiers were hurt when one stepped on a mine and lost his foot. Thai officials blamed newly planted mines, allegedly Russian-made, in areas agreed to be safe zones. Cambodia dismissed the accusations, saying the region is littered with unexploded mines left from decades of past conflict. Nationalist sentiment in both countries is further stoking the situation. Thailand's Prime Minister was suspended from office on July 1 amid an investigation into alleged ethics violations over her handling of the border tensions. Border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia have long been a source of friction. The most sensitive flashpoint remains the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded the site to Cambodia—a decision Thailand has never fully accepted. More violence erupted around the temple in 2011, resulting in about 20 deaths and the displacement of thousands. Cambodia returned to the court in 2013, which reaffirmed its ownership—a ruling that continues to irritate Thailand. As tensions rise once again, the risk of broader conflict looms large, with both countries now on high alert along their volatile shared border.
