Canada sends warship through Taiwan Strait

Canada sailed a warship through the waters of the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday as the vessel joined the ongoing effort to enforce United Nations sanctions against North Korea.
The Department of National Defence says the frigate HMCS Vancouver sailed through the narrow passage between China and Taiwan alongside the American guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins.
A statement Tuesday from the United States Navy's 7th Fleet says the ships transited "through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state" to demonstrate a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan early last month, angering China, which regards the island as its territory.
In response, the Chinese military fired missiles into the Taiwan Strait and mobilized large numbers of ships and warplanes for exercises around the island.
HMCS Vancouver, which has been deployed with HMCS Winnipeg to the waters around the Philippines and Indonesia since August, is expected to participate in exercises with American and Japanese forces while on its sanctions-enforcement mission.
A CH-148 Cyclone helicopter is deployed with the ship and a CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol plane is scheduled to join the sanctions mission in October, operating out of Okinawa, Japan, the Department of National Defence says.
"As a Pacific nation, Canada is deeply committed to upholding global stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," National Defence Minister Anita Anand said in a statement Tuesday.
"Today’s routine Taiwan Strait transit demonstrates our commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," Anand added.
Canada's sanctions enforcement mission against North Korea, known as Operation Neon, began in 2018 and was last year extended until the end of April 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Military under fire as thousands of troops face lost cost-of-living allowance
The Canadian Armed Forces is under fire for its plan to cut thousands of troops off a cost-of-living allowance without much notice.

Twitter: Parts of source code leaked online
Some parts of Twitter's source code -- the fundamental computer code on which the social network runs -- were leaked online, the social media company said in a legal filing on Sunday.
Court hearing for Prince Harry and Elton John's privacy case against U.K. publisher
The first hearing in a lawsuit brought by Prince Harry, singer Elton John and other high profile figures against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper over alleged phone-tapping and other breaches of privacy, is due to begin on Monday.
South Korea says North Korea test-fired another missile
South Korea's military says it detected North Korea firing at least one ballistic missile toward the sea off its eastern coast, adding to a recent flurry in weapons tests as the United States steps up its military exercises with the South to counter the North's growing threat.
Netanyahu fires defence minister for urging halt to overhaul
Tens of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets of cities across the country on Sunday night in a spontaneous outburst of anger after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defence minister for challenging the Israeli leader's judicial overhaul plan.
Is 'David' porn? See for yourself, Italians ask Florida parents
The Florence museum housing Michelangelo's Renaissance masterpiece the 'David' invited parents and students from a Florida charter school to visit after complaints about a lesson featuring the statue forced the principal to resign.
Singh 'not satisfied' with confidence-and-supply agreement
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he's 'not satisfied' with his party's confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals — signed a year ago this week — because it's shown him he could do a better job running the country than the current government.
Ancient Egypt excavation uncovers 2,000 mummified ram heads at Abydos
At least 2,000 mummified ram heads dating from the Ptolemaic period and a palatial Old Kingdom structure have been uncovered at the temple of Ramses II in the ancient city of Abydos in southern Egypt, antiquities officials said on Saturday.
Ukraine demands emergency UN meeting over Putin nuclear plan
Ukraine's government on Sunday called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to 'counter the Kremlin's nuclear blackmail' after Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed plans to station tactical atomic weapons in Belarus. One Ukrainian official said that Russia 'took Belarus as a nuclear hostage.'