Latest news with #DavidCooper
BBC News
25-07-2025
- BBC News
Flying Scotsman helps Bridgnorth get back on track
The world-famous Flying Scotsman steamed into Shropshire on Friday, marking the full reopening of one of the county's top tourist Severn Valley Railway (SVR) heritage line, which runs for 16 miles from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster in Worcestershire, had been blocked since January after a major had meant trains could only run from Kidderminster to Hampton Loade, leaving Bridgnorth without the financial boost that thousands of railway passengers bring to the town each to travel on board Flying Scotsman sold out within minutes and the locomotive was then booked for an extra day - with trips now happening from Friday to Monday. Bridgnorth's mayor David Cooper said there was a "strong identity" between the town and the railway. "It does draw a lot of people into the town and it's very much valued by businesses in the town, so we're very grateful that the services are back up and running," he said. Bridgnorth station master Chris Thomas said: "Everyone here has been waiting for this day, and it's marvellous to welcome our first full-line train this season. "During the long months of isolation we've worked hard to keep people coming here and carried out a lot of maintenance and improvement work to keep the station looking good. "But of course, nothing beats a fully joined up railway, and that's what we're celebrating today." SVR managing director Jonathan Dunster said: "Securing the iconic Flying Scotsman to haul our reopening train was the absolute icing on the cake."This is about championing the SVR's spirit of survival, and the many remarkable people associated with it that have helped to bring us to the point of reunifying our line." Because of the current high risk of lineside fires, a Class 20 diesel locomotive provided assistance to Flying Scotsman."The vegetation alongside our line is still very dry, and the last thing we want on this very special day is a spark from Flying Scotsman inadvertently starting a fire," said Mr Dunster."Placing the diesel directly behind the steam loco gives the best level of assistance, which is so important when the train is tackling the infamous incline of Eardington Bank." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Vancouver Sun
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Immigration minister won't say if Canada considering barring rap groups Bob Vylan, Kneecap
OTTAWA — A prominent Jewish organization is pushing for Canada to deny entry to two bands being investigated in the U.K. after their appearance at a popular British music festival last month. In late June, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs asked the ministers of public safety and immigration to bar Irish rap group Kneecap and English punk rap duo Bob Vylan. 'I respectfully urge your offices to review the admissibility of the individuals involved with Kneecap and Bob Vylan and to assess whether their presence in Canada aligns with our country's legislation around hate speech,' vice-president of government relations David Cooper wrote in a letter to the ministers. 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. Avon and Somerset Police launched a criminal probe after reviewing video footage of their performances at the Glastonbury festival in the U.K. on June 25. Bob Vylan led a chant of 'death to the IDF,' in reference to Israel's military, at the Glastonbury Festival. One member of Kneecap had previously been charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at an earlier performance. CIJA says those incidents violate 'Canadian hate speech laws' and contradict 'our core values.' It's urging supporters to write to the government in support of the ban. In his letter to the government, Cooper said allowing 'performers who glorify terrorism or incite hatred to enter Canada and perform here would send a deeply troubling signal.' Kneecap is scheduled to play in Toronto and Vancouver in October. The U.S. State Department revoked the visas issued to the members of Bob Vylan on June 30. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on social media that the U.S. acted due to the 'hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants.' 'Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,' he said. Liberal MP Anthony Housefather welcomed the U.S. visa decision and said that same day that Canada should follow suit. He said he also raised the issue with Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree. 'To me neither of these performers … should be admissible to Canada. And they should be refused should any request for entry happen,' Housefather said in an interview on Monday. He said 'it's clear we need certainty that they can't enter the country to incite hatred in Canada.' On Sunday, a group of Indigenous leaders who are part of the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem urged the entertainment companies Live Nation and MRG Group not to allow Kneecap to perform. 'Allowing them to play would not only be a violation of the peace treaties signed by First Nations leaders, but would openly glorify terrorism and hatred,' they said. A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Lena Diab said the government cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy legislation. People seeking to enter Canada have to meet requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Matthew Krupovich said. 'Each case is assessed individually. Entry to Canada may be refused for a number of reasons, including concerns related to security, human or international rights violations, or criminal activity,' he said. In a statement, CIJA said it had not heard back from either Anandasangaree or Diab and that the situation raises questions about whether Canada's existing laws will be applied to block the admission to Canada of foreigners who glorify violence. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Immigration minister won't say if Canada considering barring rap groups Bob Vylan, Kneecap
Article content OTTAWA — A prominent Jewish organization is pushing for Canada to deny entry to two bands being investigated in the U.K. after their appearance at a popular British music festival last month. Article content In late June, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs asked the ministers of public safety and immigration to bar Irish rap group Kneecap and English punk rap duo Bob Vylan. Article content Article content Article content 'I respectfully urge your offices to review the admissibility of the individuals involved with Kneecap and Bob Vylan and to assess whether their presence in Canada aligns with our country's legislation around hate speech,' vice-president of government relations David Cooper wrote in a letter to the ministers. Article content Bob Vylan led a chant of 'death to the IDF,' in reference to Israel's military, at the Glastonbury Festival. One member of Kneecap had previously been charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at an earlier performance. Article content Article content CIJA says those incidents violate 'Canadian hate speech laws' and contradict 'our core values.' It's urging supporters to write to the government in support of the ban. Article content Article content In his letter to the government, Cooper said allowing 'performers who glorify terrorism or incite hatred to enter Canada and perform here would send a deeply troubling signal.' Article content Kneecap is scheduled to play in Toronto and Vancouver in October. Article content The U.S. State Department revoked the visas issued to the members of Bob Vylan on June 30. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on social media that the U.S. acted due to the 'hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants.' Article content Article content 'Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,' he said. Article content Liberal MP Anthony Housefather welcomed the U.S. visa decision and said that same day that Canada should follow suit. He said he also raised the issue with Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree. Article content 'To me neither of these performers … should be admissible to Canada. And they should be refused should any request for entry happen,' Housefather said in an interview on Monday.
Global News
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Global News
Not clear if Canada will deny entry to British, Irish rappers
A prominent Jewish organization is pushing for Canada to deny entry to two bands being investigated in the U.K. after their appearance at a popular British music festival last month. In late June, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs asked the ministers of public safety and immigration to bar Irish rap group Kneecap and English punk rap duo Bob Vylan. 'I respectfully urge your offices to review the admissibility of the individuals involved with Kneecap and Bob Vylan and to assess whether their presence in Canada aligns with our country's legislation around hate speech,' vice-president of government relations David Cooper wrote in a letter to the ministers. Avon and Somerset Police launched a criminal probe after reviewing video footage of their performances at the Glastonbury festival in the U.K. on June 25. Bob Vylan led a chant of 'death to the IDF,' in reference to Israel's military, at the Glastonbury Festival. One member of Kneecap had previously been charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at an earlier performance. Story continues below advertisement CIJA says those incidents violate 'Canadian hate speech laws' and contradict 'our core values.' It's urging supporters to write to the government in support of the ban. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In his letter to the government, Cooper said allowing 'performers who glorify terrorism or incite hatred to enter Canada and perform here would send a deeply troubling signal.' Kneecap is scheduled to play in Toronto and Vancouver in October. 1:44 Montreal sees drop in gun violence and car theft and rise in hate crimes, according to Montreal police report The U.S. State Department revoked the visas issued to the members of Bob Vylan on June 30. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on social media that the U.S. acted due to the 'hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants.' 'Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,' he said. Story continues below advertisement Liberal MP Anthony Housefather welcomed the U.S. visa decision and said that same day that Canada should follow suit. He said he also raised the issue with Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree. 'To me neither of these performers … should be admissible to Canada. And they should be refused should any request for entry happen,' Housefather said in an interview on Monday. He said 'it's clear we need certainty that they can't enter the country to incite hatred in Canada.' On Sunday, a group of Indigenous leaders who are part of the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem urged the entertainment companies Live Nation and MRG Group not to allow Kneecap to perform. 'Allowing them to play would not only be a violation of the peace treaties signed by First Nations leaders, but would openly glorify terrorism and hatred,' they said. A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Lena Diab said the government cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy legislation. People seeking to enter Canada have to meet requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Matthew Krupovich said. 'Each case is assessed individually. Entry to Canada may be refused for a number of reasons, including concerns related to security, human or international rights violations, or criminal activity,' he said. Story continues below advertisement In a statement, CIJA said it had not heard back from either Anandasangaree or Diab and that the situation raises questions about whether Canada's existing laws will be applied to block the admission to Canada of foreigners who glorify violence.
CTV News
26-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Calgary to break ground on long-awaited Green Line LRT project
After years of discussions and planning, city officials will break ground on Calgary's Green Line LRT project on Thursday. A ground-breaking ceremony will be held at the future Shepard LRT station in the city's southeast, kicking off Phase 1 of the project. This first phase is Calgary's largest-ever infrastructure investment, with $6.248 billion in funding from the City of Calgary and both the provincial and federal governments. However, city officials say they've identified at least $1.3 billion in additional costs the city will have to cover. The southeast segment, from Shepard to the future Grand Central Station, will build the first 10 stations and 16 kilometres of track, before connecting with the future downtown segment. It will also deliver 28 new modern low-floor light rail vehicles. 'I think when Calgarians start seeing the rails in the ground, the power lines going up and the stations starting to get built, we will get the momentum to get the job done,' said David Cooper, a transit expert and mobility consultant. 'It's actually pretty significant that it's actually happening, and I think people need to see that for the project to progress.' The design of the downtown segment is expected to be completed by next year, with construction starting in 2027. The provincial government's preferred alignment for a train through downtown is on an elevated track. Calgary's mayor still questions the impact this will have, saying property values, downtown vibrancy and public safety are still on the line. Despite not always agreeing on the project design and funding arrangements, all three levels of government are expected to be at the ground-breaking ceremony. 'Transit has pretty broad support across the political spectrum,' Cooper said. 'At the end of the day, people want to get people to work, and it doesn't matter what side of the political equation you're on – this has been a project that all three funders have said that they want this project to happen.'
