Video shows moment multiple batteries exploded at South Korean battery plant

New York Post has the story.

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT. Surveillance footage shows the moment a deadly fire started at a South Korean battery manufacturer and killed 23 workers on Monday (June 24).

The video shows smoke coming from a stack of lithium batteries.

And in a factory which contained around 35,000 of them, the fire quickly evolved into a huge blaze which then sparked explosions.

The now-gutted structure was in Hwaseong, an industrial cluster southwest of the capital Seoul.

Firefighters with search dogs combed the remains on Tuesday (June 25) and found the body of the last unaccounted-for person, raising the death toll to 23.

The father of one victim, while trying to find the body of his Chinese national daughter, told Reuters she had called the batteries “dangerous” multiple times.

And he said she had recently told him about another fire at the factory.

Most of the victims are yet to be identified because of the intensity of the blaze.

But at least 17 were Chinese and one was Laotian.

Experts say foreign workers in the country face a disproportionate risk of injury and death.

And that they take on dangerous jobs shunned by many young South Koreans.

On Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry said Beijing has called on South Korea to find the cause of the fire as quickly as possible.

The chief executive of the battery maker Aricell apologized for the incident - but said the company had complied with safety rules.

“The company will do its best to deal with this situation and will take on a firm responsibility. In addition, we will sincerely work on the investigation of the relevant authorities and will make every effort to follow up on the exact cause of the accident and prevent recurrence.”

The National Forensic Service, police and the fire department are holding a joint investigation into the incident.

22 Killed in South Korea Battery Plant Explosion

Live News Network has the story.

22 people are confirmed dead after a lithium ion battery plant explosion in South Korea on Monday.

A series of battery cells exploded, igniting a fire in a warehouse. Fire officials said 102 people were working at the factory when the blaze broke out.

Ukraine Peace Summit to host over 90 countries, Russia not included

CBC News has the story.

At least 90 countries are headed to Switzerland this weekend for the Ukraine Peace Summit, where world leaders will discuss ways to end Russia's war on Ukraine. Russia was not invited, but President Vladimir Putin still laid out his conditions for peace — which Ukraine has called unacceptable. Ukraine's ambassador to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv talks about what Ukraine needs to see from allies at the summit.

Trudeau has “concerns” with NSICOP report on foreign interference

Global News has the story.

In tonight’s top story: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to be plagued by questions about alleged foreign interference by countries like China and India. Those questions come in the wake of a damning report that suggests some MPs are engaging with foreign states. As Mackenzie Gray reports, Trudeau said he has some "concerns" about the report, but is not volunteering any specifics.

In Calgary, the city has declared a local emergency as the ongoing water crisis worsens. It has been 10 days since the city reported what it’s declared as a catastrophic water main break. Now, there are signs it could be weeks before things return to normal. Adam MacVicar has the latest on the ongoing emergency.

Across the pond in London, England, Kate Middleton made her first public in nearly three months on Saturday. Middleton continues to battle a cancer diagnosis away from the public eye but displayed a united front with her family at the celebration of King Charles’ birthday. As Vanessa Wright reports, she managed to steal the show even in the face of her health issues.

Survivors of sexual assault in the military say there’s a long way to go to make Canada’s military a safe place for women to serve. On Wednesday, Ottawa’s Veterans Affairs Committee released a scathing report on how women are treated by the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs. Heidi Petracek speaks to women whose military careers were shattered by sexual assault about the accountability they say is missing.

And finally, it is do or die for the Edmonton Oilers as they face the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals. The Oilers face near impossible odds to win the cup and if they fail to win Saturday’s game on home ice, it’s all over. Jeff Semple reports on how fans are feeling.

The so-called National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP; French: Comité des parlementaires sur la sécurité nationale et le renseignement; CPSNR) is a body composed of members of the House of Commons and Senate which reviews the activities of the Government of Canada's national security and intelligence agencies. The committee also performs strategic and systematic reviews of the legislative, regulatory, policy, expenditure and administrative frameworks under which national security activities are conducted.

Formed in 2017, members of NSICOP are appointed from members of Parliament's two chambers on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition party. Members must obtain and maintain top secret security clearance. NSICOP is not a standing committee nor a special committee of Parliament. Rather, it is an agency of the executive branch, itself overseen by the Prime Minister's Office, whose membership is made up of parliamentarians, unlike similar bodies in other Five Eyes countries – such as the Senate Intelligence Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the United States, the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament in the United Kingdom or the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security in Australia.

Canada: Ontario chemical plant to permanently close over benzene emissions

Global News has the story.

INEOS Styrolution says it will permanently close its industrial plant in Sarnia, Ont., following intense pressure from both the provincial and federal governments to curb toxic emissions. As Carolyn Jarvis reports, residents of the nearby Aamjiwnaang First Nation had previously said they felt sick after high levels of the cancer-causing chemical benzene were detected in the air.

The federal government has faced growing calls to reveal the names of MPs who are accused in a report from Canada's intelligence watchdog of "wittingly" providing information to a foreign state. But as David Akin explains, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says the media firestorm about the allegations are overblown, after reading the uncensored version of the report for herself.

While a motion to increase capital gains taxes for the wealthiest Canadians easily passed the House of Commons, the Conservatives voted against the measure. Mackenzie Gray explains how Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rationalized his vote, how the Liberals and NDP could use it as political ammunition and how the polls have shifted since the 2024 federal budget was introduced.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has approved a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the bloodshed in Gaza and securing the release of hostages taken on Oct. 7. But as Crystal Goomansingh reports, while the deal is being overwhelmingly backed internationally, Israel and Hamas have yet to agree to it.

 

Plus, Western Canada is mourning the deaths of a famous white grizzly bear and her two cubs, who were killed in two separate vehicle collisions on the Trans-Canada Highway near Lake Louise, Alta. Heather Yourex-West reports on how conservationists are urging for better measures to protect the rare species.

Canada: Montreal police use tear gas on Pro-Palestinian protesters at McGill

CTV News has the story.

Genevieve Beauchemin reports from McGill University where police faced off with protesters who barricaded themselves in a school building.

Canada sees drop in citizen applications from permanent residents

BBC News has the story.

Canada has been a magnet for immigrants for decades, but recently the number of permanent residents applying for citizenship has been dropping.

Thousands emigrate from India to Canada every year, with the Punjab community making up one of the country’s biggest diasporas, but some are now choosing to return to their home country.