Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian ministry of health has confirmed. Layth Abu Naim, 16, was shot in the head with live ammunition during a confrontation with the Israeli army in the village of al-Mughayir, northeast of the occupied West Bank town of Ramallah. According to local media, Abu Naim – a high school student – was shot at point blank range. The confrontations reportedly erupted after Israeli forces raided the village. The boy’s funeral is set to be held on Wednesday after midday prayers in his hometown. A spokeswoman for Israel’s military said “violent riots are taking place in this area and burning tires and stones were thrown at the soldiers,” according to Israeli media. The spokeswoman was “unable to confirm that any Palestinians had been hit by gunfire”. Abu Naim is the sixth Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces since the start of 2018. Tensions in the region have increased in recent weeks after United States President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to name Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Trump’s December 6 move prompted deadly protests in the Palestinian territories and mass rallies in solidarity with the Palestinians across the Muslim world. US Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Israel and the region increased animosity amongst Palestinians towards the US. His speech in the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on January 22 was laden with praise for Israel. On Tuesday, a group of Palestinians protested the arrival of an American delegation to the West Bank city of Bethlehem. The delegation was reportedly there to hold a training session on digital commerce, according to Israeli media. A video shared on social media showed protestors entering the meeting room holding signs and chanting against the US administration’s decision surrounding Jerusalem, after which the delegation packed up and left.
Source: Al-Jazeera
Pain at the pump: Gas prices shoot up seven cents a litre
A hike in wholesale gas prices caused by a supply squeeze shot pump prices up at least seven cents overnight and an analyst is expecting gas to go up another one penny a litre on Wednesday.
The hikes in what is already the most expensive gas market in North America hurts Randip Singh right in the wallet. The Vancouver cabbie was filling up at a Vancouver gas station on Monday and he was skeptical about a shortage causing the increase that’s going to add at least $5 to his fill.
“Before they used to say it was the crude oil prices going up and that’s not the case anymore,” he said. “I think they’re selling less gas because of the electric vehicles and they’re not making as much profit so they have to raise the price.” For those who welcomed a
price dip to $1.369 a litre recently at some stations (a discount that analysts said was caused by retailers competing with one another), the hike seemed especially steep.
B.C. gas retailers have to pay a premium to import gas and that amounts to an extra 19 cents a litre from the Washington refineries, said McTeague.Source: vancouversun.com/news
B.C. government delegation promotes natural resources, wood products and winter tourism in Beijing
Promoting opportunities for British Columbia-China collaboration in wood construction, tourism and energy was the focus of Premier John Horgan’s visit to Beijing, which also included a wood and green-building policy forum.
“China is increasingly focused on environmentally sustainable construction, and B.C. is taking every opportunity to promote the environmental benefits of wood building products and systems,” said Premier Horgan. “We are not only marketing wood products and technologies, but also engaging with key government policy and decision makers, so we can expand markets for B.C. forestry products.”
The forum — led by Canada Wood China, experts from B.C. and China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development — shared best practices on wood construction, with a focus on opportunities for B.C. to collaborate with Chinese companies in advancing low-carbon development.
To build on opportunities resulting from the 2018 Canada-China Year of Tourism and an increased interest in winter sport in China, the delegation also hosted a reception for key tourism operators and influencers. Themed “Ski British Columbia”, the reception featured virtual reality/360 ski videos, interactive ski areas and B.C. agrifoods and seafood.
“The number of tourists travelling from China to our province is growing all the time. With the upcoming Olympics, we now have a major opportunity to build awareness of B.C. as a prime winter ski destination, in addition to a beautiful area to visit in spring and summer,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “While visits from China to B.C. continue to grow, we want Chinese tourists to know that we are ready and keen to welcome them to experience B.C.’s spectacular ski resorts and other destinations.”
The Beijing leg of the Asia mission also included bilateral meetings with key energy stakeholders in China, and a cross-industry range of investors and entrepreneurs with interest or active projects in B.C.
“Our robust economy, abundant natural resources and stable business environment offer excellent opportunities for Chinese investors,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology. “The groundwork we’re laying in China today will help attract investment, promote exports and, most importantly, lead to job creation in B.C.”
“Business in China is about building relationships,” said George Chow, Minister of State for Trade. “Through face-to-face meetings with government and business leaders, we’re engaging corporate investors and entrepreneurs to promote B.C. as a competitive destination for trade and investment.”
Quick Facts:
B.C. goods exports to China totalled $5.9 billion in 2016, making China B.C.’s second-largest export market.
China was also Canada’s second-largest export destination, with 4.3% of Canadian goods shipped there.
Tourism:
The 2018 Canada-China Year of Tourism was launched by the governments of Canada and China to celebrate and promote tourism opportunities between the two countries.
In 2016, there were 312,668 overnight customs entries to British Columbia. China is B.C.’s second-largest market, after the U.S.
The Chinese ski market has seen a rapid growth in the last two decades, growing from about 10,000 skiers in 1996 to a reported 12 million in 2015.
Wood and Wood Products:
China is B.C.’s largest market for wood products in Asia by both volume and value, and the second-largest market overall, after the U.S.
In 2016, B.C. exported over $1 billion of softwood lumber to China, up from $69 million in 2003, an increase of more than 1,400%.
B.C. remains the second-largest supplier of softwood lumber to China, after Russia.
To learn more about how the Province promotes international investment in B.C., visit Trade and Invest BC: www.britishcolumbia.ca/
