The Chinese government is accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being naive in assuming that President Donald Trump did him any favours by raising the case of two imprisoned Canadians with President Xi Jinping.

Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, was reacting today to Trudeau's comment a day earlier in Toronto, where he said he was "confident'' Trump raised the matter with Xi at the G20 summit in Japan this past weekend.

In an Oval Office meeting last month with Trudeau, Trump said he would raise the plight of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in his planned meeting with Xi, as a favour to Canada.

In December, Canada detained Chinese high-tech scion Meng Wanzhou at the request of the U.S. government, which wants to extradite her to face fraud charges.

Kovrig and Spavor were arrested 10 days later and have been charged with violating China's national security, but many view their detentions as retaliation for Meng's arrest.        

Trump said before leaving the G20 in Japan that he didn't discuss the Meng case with Xi, raising questions about whether he made good on his White House commitment to Trudeau.

Guest: David Akin

Chief Political Correspondent, Global News

The benchmark price of a home in Metro Vancouver fell below $1 million last month, marking the first time the number dropped below seven figures since May 2017.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says the composite benchmark price for detached houses, townhomes and condos was $998,700 in June _ down 9.6 per cent from the same time last year and 0.8 per cent from May.

Detached houses saw the biggest drop, falling 10.9 per cent from June 2018 to $1,423,500.

Townhomes fell 8.6 per cent to $774,700 and condos dropped 8.9 per cent to $654,700.

Prices dropped as the area recorded the lowest number of home sales last month than any June in more than two decades.

The board says 2,077 homes sold in June 2019 _ down 14.4 per cent from the same month last year, down 34.7 per cent from the 10-year June sales average and the lowest June total since 1998.

Guest: Kevin Skipworth

Managing Broker/Partner at Dexter Realty

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The benchmark price of a home in Metro Vancouver fell below $1 million last month, marking the first time the number dropped below seven figures since May 2017.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says the composite benchmark price for detached houses, townhomes and condos was $998,700 in June _ down 9.6 per cent from the same time last year and 0.8 per cent from May.

Detached houses saw the biggest drop, falling 10.9 per cent from June 2018 to $1,423,500.

Townhomes fell 8.6 per cent to $774,700 and condos dropped 8.9 per cent to $654,700.

Prices dropped as the area recorded the lowest number of home sales last month than any June in more than two decades.

The board says 2,077 homes sold in June 2019 _ down 14.4 per cent from the same month last year, down 34.7 per cent from the 10-year June sales average and the lowest June total since 1998.

Guest: Kevin Skipworth

Managing Broker/Partner at Dexter Realty

One of the alleged victims of the assault, a Kelowna man, said he sustained a fractured spine. An initial assessment at Merritt hospital did not locate the spine injury. It was discovered at Kelowna General Hospital upon follow up on Monday.

Guest: Shelby Thom

Global News reporter

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One of the alleged victims of the assault, a Kelowna man, said he sustained a fractured spine. An initial assessment at Merritt hospital did not locate the spine injury. It was discovered at Kelowna General Hospital upon follow up on Monday.

Guest: Shelby Thom

Global News reporter

Vote in @simisara980's 🔥 question of the day: Some gas companies are withholding details of their profit margins from the BC Utilities Commission inquiry into gas prices, citing commercial reasons.

Should they be forced to hand over this data?

Yes, in the public interest.

No, it’s private info.

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Vote in @simisara980's

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

🔥🔥 Hot question of the day 🔥🔥

Vote in @simisara980’s 🔥 question of the day: 

BC Ferries workers say they need more help to deal with harassment, threats and physical violence from some customers.  They want people to know that kind of behaviour isn’t acceptable so they have launched a public information campaign. 

Our question is: if you saw someone harassing or being abusive to a customer service person - would you intervene?  Would you say something?

Yes, absolutely!

No, too risky.

I’m not sure.

 

Chapter 2

Chinese state media runs footage of Hong Kong protests, breaking silence

The U-S consul in Hong Kong has condemned violence among government critics but says all should have the right to express their views peacefully. Hundreds of demonstrators stormed the legislature yesterday and wrote graffiti on the walls. Consul General Kurt Tong says the US would have preferred to see peaceful protests.

The protesters want the government to withdraw an extradition bill and are demanding the resignation of Leader Carrie Lam.

Meanwhile, Chinese state media has run footage of police in Hong Kong clearing protesters from streets in a break with its silence over past days of pro-democracy demonstrations. 

Guest: Joanna Chiu

Managing editor of Star Vancouver, former correspondent in China and Hong Kong

 

Chapter 3

Japan's whalers bring home first commercial catch in 31 years

Two Japanese whale hunting boats have returned to port with their first catch after resuming commercial whaling for the first time in 31 years.  Japan's last commercial hunt was in 1986, but it has continued whaling for what it says are research purposes. It has now withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) so is no longer subject to its rules. IWC members had agreed to an effective ban on whale hunting, but Japan has long argued it is possible to hunt whales in a sustainable way.

Despite an international outcry from animal welfare activists, certain experts believe that the resumption of traditional whaling may end up saving large government subsidies and the lives of many whales. Patrick Ramage is the director of International Fund for Animal Welfare, and he thinks that this could be the end of traditional Japanese whaling.

Guest: Patrick Ramage 

Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare

 

Chapter 4

Local rose expert honoured in New York by Bette Midler 

Do you love roses? If so, you definitely need to meet our next guest! Brad Jalbert is a rose hybridizer, grower and expert from Select Roses in Langley, BC, and he recently returned from New York City where he was recognized for his work with roses at the New York Restoration Society Picnic. For the occasion, Jalbert created a rose for the founder of the New York Restoration Society, Bette Midler. Jalbert created the rose and named it ‘The Divine Miss M’, which Midler praised as a “knockout”. 

Jalbert joins Simi in studio to discuss his career working with roses, his international success, and to take your calls with questions about the roses in your garden. 

Guest: Brad Jalbert 

A rose hybridizer (breeder), grower, and expert from Select Roses in Langley, BC

 

Chapter 5

Canada’s LNG projects will undermine efforts to stop climate change: Global Energy Monitor report

The Global Energy Monitor says an international boom in liquefied natural gas exports is undermining global efforts to stop climate change and Canada is one of the industry's biggest players.

The report, released on Canada Day, says there are projects in development globally that by 2030 would increase natural gas supply to 806 million tonnes above what they are now.

Just over one-third of that development, 35 per cent, is in Canada. Only the United States, at 39 per cent, has more new natural gas exports in the works, the report says.

The Global Energy Monitor is an international non-governmental organization that catalogues fossil-fuel infrastructure.

The report says the increase in natural gas is driven largely by the North American fracking boom,  which changed the industry about 11 years ago.

But it also says the investments are ``on a collision course'' with the goals of the Paris climate change accord.

Guest: Ted Nace

Founder of Global Energy Monitor

 

Chapter 6

Travel Best Bets: the mistakes everyone makes on vacation

DEALS:

7 Night Alaska Cruise

August 3    (over the long weekend!!!)

Cruise only (roundtrip Vancouver)

$749 + $312 tax (1061)...$20 more of oceanview obstructed

Rome & Sorrento, Italy (Longstay)

March 3 

Air, 5 night in Rome, 14 nights in Sorrento, daily breakfast & transfers

$2299 + $680 tax (2979)

11 Night Scandinavia & Russia Cruise (7 countries!)

May 12

Air, 11 night cruise & transfers

Ports: Copenhagen (Denmark), Riga(Latvia), Tallinn (Estonia), St.Petersburg (Russia) (x2), Helsinki (Finland), Stockholm (Sweden), Klaipeda (Lithuania), Copenhagen (Denmark)(x2)

$1799 + $898 tax (2697)...add $300 for outside cabin

 

Guest: Claire Newell 

President and Founder of Travel Best Bets

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Loser

35 year old Patrick Beeman from Wisconsin 

 

A “serial toilet clogger” in Wisconsin was slapped with a 150-day sentence on Monday, according to the Sheboygan Press newspaper.

 

Patrick Beeman, 35, was also ordered to go on probation for three years after prosecutors say he clogged women’s toilets in Deland Park in Sheboygan and at his place of employment.

 

“I need to make things right and pray forgiveness every day,” Beeman said during his sentencing on Monday in Sheboygan County, according to the Press.

 

There were at least 12 “clogging” incidents, according to authorities. 

 

Officers found a plastic bottle jamming a toilet in the women’s restroom at Deland Community Center in March, and the incidents stretched back to April of 2017, according to the newspaper.

 

Beeman would get urges to use objects to plug toilets. He caused about $2,000 in damage, according to Fox 6.

 

He was originally charged with 12 misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property, according to the newspaper, but seven of those charges were dropped earlier this year.

 

He was sentenced to 30 days in jail for each of the remaining counts. He will be able to continue to work at his job, but must report to jail each day.

Winner

Pastor Sam and the Grand Rapids First congregation in Wyoming, Michigan 

In the past few years, the news about pastors and how they use the funds from their churches has been anything less than inspiring. 

 

From Joel Osteen refusing to open the doors of his megachurch to victims of Hurricane, to televangelists preaching the prosperity gospel and asking congregants for money for their private jets, it could seem like leaders of organized religion have lost sight of their original mission 

 

Thankfully, faith has been restored after a Michigan church said it raised enough money to pay off the medical debt of nearly 2,000 struggling families.

 

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