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Territorial Disputes Dominate Geneva Peace Talks

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll sit before closed-door talks with Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak  (not pictured) on ending Russia's war in Ukraine, at the US Mission in Geneva, Switzerland. Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine convened in Geneva for a new round of U.S.-mediated peace talks, with territorial disputes emerging as the central point of contention. The discussions, held over two days, come amid heightened pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has urged Kyiv to “come to the table fast” in pursuit of a settlement.  Both sides remain deeply divided over land claims, which have become the primary obstacle to progress. The Kremlin has signaled that territorial issues will dominate the agenda, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced concerns that Kyiv is facing disproportionate p...
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CRA Extends 850 Call Centre Contracts to Ease Service Strain

                Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) national headquarters in Ottawa on Friday, June 28, 2024.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has granted contract extensions to approximately 850 call centre employees whose terms were set to expire in September. The move comes amid mounting concerns from the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) over staffing shortages that have led to long wait times, dropped calls, and a surge in taxpayer complaints.

Union president Marc Brière described the decision as a “first victory” in their campaign to halt job cuts and restore service levels. Over the past year, the CRA has shed nearly 3,300 call centre positions, a reduction the agency attributes to budget constraints, the end of temporary pandemic programs, and government-wide savings initiatives.

While the extensions will keep the affected workers on staff until March 2025, both the union and the taxpayers’ ombudsperson warn that further cuts could deepen service delays. The federal government is currently reviewing departmental budgets with potential reductions of up to 15% over three years.


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