https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/higgs-energy-europe-1.6833878
Higgs heads to Europe to pitch energy sources that don't exist yet
Premier will promote hydrogen, natural gas and small modular reactors to thousands in Rotterdam
Higgs will be at the World Hydrogen Summit next week in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and will then travel to Paris.
The focus in Rotterdam will be pitching the province's hydrogen, natural gas and small modular reactor projects to customers — though none of them are producing anything that exists yet.
He'll position all three of those sources as a key part of the transition away from greenhouse gas-emitting energy as the world seeks to limit the effects of climate change.
Higgs
will present his case in Rotterdam, which includes plans for a green
hydrogen production plant at the port of Belledune that would export
ammonia fuel to global customers. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
"We want the world to know that we are well positioned to be Canada's energy gateway to Europe and an integral player in lower greenhouse gas emissions provincially, nationally and globally," he told reporters.
In Rotterdam, he'll present his case to 8,000 delegates from more than a hundred countries attending the summit.
It includes plans for a green hydrogen production plant at the port of Belledune that would export ammonia fuel to global customers.
Higgs vouched for the plant's green credentials, saying it will "have to be basically supplied by renewables, whether it be wind farms, solar. There could be some traditional supply but it is going to need an extensive renewable source."
That would allow the plant to market its power in Europe as not generated in a plant powered by fossil fuels.
It's not clear what market there would be in Europe for small modular nuclear reactors built in New Brunswick by ARC Clean Energy Inc. and Moltex Energy.
Other companies around the world are working on their own SMR designs and some countries in Europe, including Germany, have cooled to nuclear power as a fossil fuel alternative.
And for both ARC and Moltex, a working reactor remains several years away. ARC says its first will be able to start operating at Point Lepreau in 2030 while Moltex says its initial device will take more time.
A pitch for liquefied natural gas
Higgs will also pitch liquefied natural gas exports from a province that doesn't yet have the Indigenous buy-in to proceed with developing an industry.
The province has pitched sharing between $800 million and $1.6 billion in shale gas revenue with First Nations over 20 years if they consent to development.
The premier said Friday that European countries are signing deals with other suppliers for the same gas "that we have right here under our feet."
He said it's hard to "imagine the logic of not understanding the benefits."
While natural gas is a fossil fuel that emits climate-warming greenhouse gases, it emits less than other carbon sources like coal.
Higgs argues that makes it a necessary transition fuel until completely non-emitting energy sources produce enough power to eliminate fossil fuels completely.
"How do we best play a role in this at a time when we only have a window to utilize what's under our feet?" he said.
"I'm hopeful that rational heads will prevail and we'll be able to have that discussion meaningfully and objectively."
The Paris part of the trip won't be energy-focused but is aimed at building on existing France-New Brunswick business connections.
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Methinks Macron could use a little support in dealing with unions from Canada's King of Pension Reform N'esy Pas?
In the volatile streets of Paris, Macron may be winning his war of attrition against the unions
Battle over French pensions comes down to quality-of-life issues, say demonstrators
Chris Brown · CBC News · Posted: Mar 30, 2023 5:00 AM ADT
I bet I had more fun that Higgy will next week
Trudeau announces Canadian delegation for King Charles's coronation
Trudeau, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon will be on hand in London for Charles's investiture
John Paul Tasker · CBC News · Posted: May 03, 2023 6:17 PM ADT
Survey Says???
Otherwise the two could do what the PM should have done a year ago.
The longer Trudeau stays in Europe the better.....not missed here.
Does your survey consider this option?
Reply to Ralston Cadman
Reply to Ralston Cadman
Trudeau said there isn't a clear business case yet for the development of a natural gas export terminal
John Paul Tasker · CBC News · Posted: Aug 22, 2022 2:41 PM ADT
I didn't think so.
The writer has tried hard to put a negative spin on this story, but that's pretty much par for the course with JP.
Productive?
Number of global small modular reactor projects 2022, by capacity and status
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 27, 2023
Three small modular reactors (SMRs) were operational in 2022, located in Russia, China, and India. Three more were under construction, while 65 SMRs were still in the design stage. Most of them had a capacity of between 100 and 300 megawatts.
Trudeau, Germany's Scholz cool to the idea of exporting Canadian natural gas to Europe
Trudeau said there isn't a clear business case yet for the development of a natural gas export terminal
At a news conference in Montreal, the two leaders instead suggested that their priority is developing cleaner energy sources, like green hydrogen, in Canada for export to Europe to help solve the continent's energy crunch.
While not ruling out a role for Canadian natural gas in alleviating Europe's energy shortage, Trudeau said there isn't a clear business case yet for building a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Saint John or elsewhere.
Trudeau said natural gas would have to be shipped by pipeline from the gas fields of Western Canada to a still-unbuilt liquefaction terminal on the Atlantic coast.
It would be a costly undertaking and might not be a prudent investment, given Europe's commitment to a rapid transition to a cleaner economy, Trudeau said.
WATCH | Trudeau talks clean energy with German chancellor:
"One of the challenges around LNG is the amount of investment required to build infrastructure for that," he said.
"There has never been a strong business case because of the distance from the gas fields, because of the need to transport that gas over long distances before liquefaction."
Trudeau said private companies are investigating whether such multibillion-dollar investments would be worthwhile in this "new context."
The war in Ukraine has upended the global energy market.
Russia, a major supplier of natural gas to Europe, has been accused of holding back some of its supply to retaliate against crippling sanctions imposed by Western countries, including Germany, over its unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
To reduce Europe's reliance on Russian gas, observers have floated the idea of shipping some of Canada's abundant natural gas across the Atlantic to terminals in Germany.
But because Canada has been slow to develop proposed LNG sites in the Atlantic provinces, it's unlikely this scenario will materialize any time soon.
Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz take part in a
welcome dinner at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on Aug. 22, 2022. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Trudeau said Canada will push ahead with LNG projects that are already under construction on the country's West Coast, terminals that will supply gas to another energy-starved region: Asia.
With more gas coming from Canada, other major suppliers, like Qatar, would have a freer hand to send their product to Germany and other European countries, he said.
"Right now, our best [solution] is to continue to contribute to the global market, to displace gas and energy that then Germany and Europe can locate from other sources," Trudeau said.
Trudeau said the conflict in Ukraine and the energy supply shocks it triggered show "the world needs to accelerate its ending of dependency on oil and gas in general" and transition to clean sources. Trudeau said that, in the coming years, Canada will position itself as a "key supplier to the world in a net-zero economy."
Scholz said Germany is interested in helping Canada develop its hydrogen production capacity — it's still a nascent industry with very little production underway — so that it can eventually tap into that resource.
Trudeau and Scholz will travel to Newfoundland and Labrador on Tuesday to meet with companies there that are pitching new hydrogen projects that eventually could feed energy to Europe.
Germany is interested in "green" hydrogen — a form of fuel that is produced through electrolysis with no resulting emissions.
People
inspect a transparent model of the hydrogen-powered Hyundai Tucson Fuel
Cell at the 2015 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)
In a recent report, Canada's environment commissioner, Jerry DeMarco, found that the actual annual production of hydrogen in Canada is only about 3 megatonnes — almost all of it being "grey" hydrogen, a dirtier form that produces roughly double the emissions of natural gas.
The commissioner said there are doubts about whether hydrogen can play any sort of meaningful role in Canada in the short term because very little of the necessary infrastructure — like hydrogen pipelines and liquefaction plants — is in place.
Green hydrogen is also prohibitively expensive. A gigajoule of natural gas costs about $3.79 to produce, while a gigajoule of green hydrogen costs over $60 if it's produced using electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar, the commissioner found.
But Scholz said rapid technological innovation is possible and hydrogen could soon be a crucial source of energy for major industrial economies.
"What we're doing at this time is scaling them up, which would really change the world of industry and production globally," he said.
"This is like all other industrial processes from the past. It starts slowly but then there is a moment where, from one day to the other, there is a big scaling up because so many different industries have decided they need to change."
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In the volatile streets of Paris, Macron may be winning his war of attrition against the unions
Battle over French pensions comes down to quality-of-life issues, say demonstrators
"Macron is scornful of the Republic," it proclaimed, featuring a stone-faced president, dressed in royal regalia channelling France's King Louis XIV, a monarch who centralized power and who his critics complained liked to bask in his own glory.
"King Emmanuel I," as Macron is now referred to by many of his detractors, has been waging an existential fight with the country's powerful labour movement for the better part of three months, with each side trying to exhaust the other into capitulating on the contentious issue of pension reform.
The country and its capital, Paris, were rocked by yet more enormous protests on Tuesday resulting from the 10th general strike called by union members. Unions say upwards of two million attended, whereas France's Interior Ministry puts the figure at 750,000.
A
large sign depicting French President Emmanuel Macron as the country's
new king is seen along the protest route in Paris on Tuesday. 'Macron is
scornful of the Republic,' it says. (Stephanie Jenzer/CBC)
Whatever the figure, the cumulative impact on France's economy of the disruption has been significant.
On Tuesday, businesses were shuttered, train and transit systems were closed and famous tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower became off-limits, infuriating visitors and depriving the economy of much-needed post-COVID tourism revenue.
France's government even asked Britain's King Charles III to postpone his visit, robbing Macron of the chance to greet the monarch in the Palace of Versaille, France's old royal residence.
Macron, 45, a former investment banker, has said his goal is to make France's economy more internationally competitive and ensure the long-term viability of the country's cherished public pension plan.
His intentions aren't a surprise: He made a run at pension reform during his first term as president but abandoned it in the wake of street protests and the COVID-19 pandemic.
'Where's the limit, here?'
The latest contentious overhaul would mean most people would have to work for two extra years until they're 64 before collecting any benefits.
While that's younger than in Canada, where most people can qualify at 65, French union members argue the country has much higher productivity rates than other industrialized economies.
Opponents say that means Macron is forcing French employees to double down, and work both harder and longer before they retire.
The legislation would also extend the length of time people must contribute to draw a full pension from 42 to 43 years. However, the lowest-income pensioners would also see their income increase by up to five per cent.
Santiago Kadeyan and his sister Amanda, right, were among those in the crowd of protesters in Paris on Tuesday. (Stephanie Jenzer/CBC)
"It is much better to block the country for two months than to have to work for two extra years in harsh conditions," said Santiago Kadeyan, 21, who was marching on Tuesday with his 17-year-old sister, Amanda, as part of a group called International Socialist Alternative.
Kadeyan, a medical student, says young people fear Macron wants to privatize much of France's social safety net — including pensions — and there will be little left when his generation needs it.
"In 2010, we already had the pension age raised from 60 to 62, and now from 62 to 64. When I'm, like, 60, are they going to tell me they will raise it from 85 to 87? Where's the limit, here?" he said in Paris's Place de la Republique, where protesters gathered at the beginning of their march.
It was a theme CBC News heard time and again when talking to the younger people at the Paris demonstrations who made up a sizable portion of those on the streets.
One
of the props in Tuesday's protest was a depiction of Macron in a
garbage can. Garbage collectors, who have been on strike for the past
three weeks, creating mounds of garbage in Paris, have announced they
will soon be returning to their jobs. (Stephanie Jenzer/CBC)
"A lot of my friends are having burnouts," said Marie Elebe, 27, who was marching alongside members of the city's LGBT community.
"We are working for less money than our parents. We are not sure that we can afford to have children, and we are angry because we are not living a good life. We don't want to just work for life."
Bill already approved
France's parliament has already approved the pension bill through the rarely used section 49.3 of the French Constitution. Rather than submitting the legislation for a parliamentary vote, on March 20, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne tested the entire government with a non-confidence motion.
Macron's side won by a narrow margin, but the move was incendiary — driving more people into the street several days later and transforming the pension issue into broader outrage against what Macron's opponents claim are his authoritarian tactics.
The next key moment is expected to come on April 14, when France's highest judicial court will rule on whether some or all of the new legislation is constitutional.
Even as polls suggest Macron's popularity has plummeted to as low as 30 per cent, his supporters insist there is no turning back.
Marie Elebe, 27, was marching alongside members of Paris’s LGBT community in Tuesday's protests. (Stephanie Jenzer/CBC)
"Each time you are reforming the pension [system], you have a lot of demonstrations," said Christopher Weissberg, a member of Macron's party in France's National Assembly who represents French citizens living in Canada and the United States.
"If you want to get things done, at some point you have to go through this."
Weissberg says the protesters are correct to be concerned that older workers over 60 are finding it increasingly difficult to hang on to their jobs, especially those working on assembly lines and in manufacturing.
But he said Macron has a plan to address that, too.
"They'll see that the next reform, for instance, will be on how to raise salaries. I hope they'll see that after pensions, which was mandatory to maintain our system, they can gain on other things," Weissberg said in an interview.
French riot police stand in position near a fire during clashes at a demonstration in Paris on Tuesday. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)
Others who have studied France's pension system aren't as convinced.
Bruno Palier, a professor and researcher at Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques in Paris, says France's union movement is attempting to lead a workplace revolution toward a better work-life balance.
More than two decades ago, France shifted to a 35-hour workweek, down from 40 hours, with the idea that if people worked less, there would be more jobs to go around, Palier said. Instead, he says what happened is that people simply worked harder, and once older workers retired, younger workers didn't replace them.
Macron
smiles while welcoming Costa Rica's president, Rodrigo Chaves Robles,
for a meeting at the Élysée Palace in Paris on March 24. (Nacho Doce/Reuters)
That in part explains the deep skepticism over Macron's pension overhaul, he told CBC News.
"Workers have been demanding a reorganization of work so that personal life can have a bigger place," Palier said.
"I think we have a noisy way of saying there is a revolution going on at work."
Fight may be tilting Macron's way
The most immediate beneficiary of the standoff has been the country's far-right movement and its parliamentary leader, Marine Le Pen.
One recent poll indicates it has gained five points since the start of the protests — even though her National Rally's populist message has been intensely anti-union in the past. Those same polls suggest Le Pen is now in the best position to replace Macron when his second term expires in 2027 and he is prohibited from running again.
Still, while the Supreme Court's ruling will play a major role in determining the future of pension reform, there are subtle hints that the fight may slowly be tilting in Macron's way.
Protesters carrying the colourful flags of France's union walk toward Place de la Nation in Paris on Tuesday. (Stephanie Jenzer/CBC)
While supporters and opponents may disagree about the numbers, the crowd was smaller than the previous general strikes earlier in March.
Many unionized employees who had participated in previous protests, including a majority of teachers, opted to stay on the job rather than attending the protest and losing a day's pay. The union representing garbage collectors also called off its three-week strike that had left Paris streets with mountains of uncollected rubbish. Violent incidents between police and protesters were also fewer on Tuesday than in the past.
Borne also offered to meet with representatives of eight powerful unions ahead of the next round of national strikes, which have been called for April 6 — an offer that was accepted.
But on the streets, the most ardent opponents are vowing to keep up the challenge until Macron pulls the legislation completely.
"If there's enough blockage [of the economy] that even the CEOs, leaders of companies start telling Macron, 'it's not worth it, we're losing too much, there is too much chaos' — that's the only way we're going to make him stop," Kadeyan said.
Corrections
- An earlier version of this story contained a photograph that misidentified Santiago Kadeyan.Mar 30, 2023 5:29 AM ET
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Trudeau announces Canadian delegation for King Charles's coronation
Trudeau, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon will be on hand in London for Charles's investiture
Trudeau also announced in a press release that the government will establish a coronation medals program to honour 30,000 Canadians who have made "significant contributions to the country, a province, territory, region or community" or have achieved something abroad that "brings credit to Canada."
The medal program comes after the Liberal government came in for criticism from some monarchists after it decided to forgo a Platinum Jubilee medal last year to mark the Queen's 70th year on the throne. It was the first such time a jubilee medal had not been awarded in Canada.
The hand-picked Canadian contingent for the coronation reflects the King's interests — there's a focus on people with ties to science, youth issues, Indigenous affairs, the military and the fight against climate change.
The Canadian guest list includes astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who will also serve as the country's flag bearer for the event. Hansen will travel to the moon next year as part of the Artemis II mission. He'll be joined in the delegation by another Canadian astronaut, Jennifer Sidey-Gibbons.
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will serve as Canada's flag-bearer at King Charles's coronation. (Michael Wyke/AP)
Indigenous leaders will also be on hand for the King's big day — including Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and Cassidy Caron, the president of the Métis National Council.
Canada's delegation will include several young leaders: Sarah Mazhero of the Prime Minister's Youth Council; Christina Caouette, the CEO of the Young Diplomats of Canada; Rebeccah Raphael, founder of Halifax Helpers; French-Canadian Youth Federation president Marguerite Tölgyesi; and Maryam Tsegaye, winner of the global science competition Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
Also attending will be celebrated Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan, an Order of Merit recipient and a Companion of the Order of Canada, and Leslie Arthur Palmer, a Cross of Valour recipient and a Canadian coast guard member who famously rescued fishermen stranded by a winter storm.
A contingent of 45 Canadian Armed Forces members will take part in a military parade, which will be held in London following the King's coronation service at Westminster Abbey.
That contingent will include 16 members of the Canadian Army, 11 members of the Royal Canadian Navy, 11 members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, six members of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command and one naval cadet from the Royal Military College of Canada.
The Prime Minister's Office said the military personnel chosen for the event have been "selected on the basis of personal merit and represent the best of those who serve in uniform today."
They will march with members of the military from other Commonwealth countries.
Last week, the King attended a ceremony with the Mounties at Windsor Castle, where he accepted the honorary position of RCMP commissioner-in-chief and was presented with a ceremonial RCMP sword.
The Mounties, dressed in red serge, will be riding horses the RCMP gave to the late Queen Elizabeth as well as Noble, a stunning black mare who was formally given to the King at last week's event.
Prince
Charles and Camilla watch a performance of the RCMP Musical Ride in
Ottawa during their Canadian tour on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)
Charles is expected to ride Noble during the Trooping of the Colour, continuing the tradition of the sovereign riding RCMP horses to inspect the troops on the sovereign's birthday.
Charles currently rides the RCMP horse George, who is headed for retirement.
To acknowledge the monarch's unique relationship with the national police force, five RCMP Musical Ride members will participate in the coronation procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace ahead of the King and Camilla, the Queen Consort.
CBC's coverage of the coronation of King Charles will be available May 6 starting at 4 a.m. ET on CBC TV, CBC News Network, streaming on cbcnews.ca, CBC Gem and CBC News Explore. Coverage on CBC Radio and CBC Listen begins at 5:30 ET.
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King Charles III is crowned in Westminster Abbey, amid pomp and pageantry
Service a shorter, less formal affair than the 3-hour coronation for his mother
Outside the abbey, thousands of troops, tens of thousands of spectators and a smattering of protesters converged in the rain along the The Mall, the grand avenue to Buckingham Palace in central London, to see Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, as they made the two-kilometre journey to the church in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach.
Charles took an oath during the coronation service to govern the people of the United Kingdom with "justice and mercy."
Shouts of "God save the King" rang out and trumpet blasts echoed after Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed St. Edward's Crown on Charles's head, while Camilla received Queen Mary's Crown for her coronation.
King
Charles and Queen Camilla travel in the Gold State Coach, pulled by
eight Windsor Greys, as the coronation procession passes through
Parliament Square on its way to Buckingham Palace following their
coronation at Westminster Abbey. ( Jane Barlow/Getty Images)
As the day began, the abbey buzzed with excitement and was abloom with fragrant flowers and colourful hats as the congregation of international dignitaries, nobles and other notables arrived.
Those in attendance included actors Judi Dench and Emma Thompson and musicians Lionel Richie and Nick Cave, who sat alongside politicians, judges in wigs, soldiers with gleaming medals attached to red tunics and members of the House of Lords in their red robes.
Dignitaries and world leaders in attendance included U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and eight current and former British prime ministers.
Heir to the throne Prince William, his wife, Catherine, and their three children were all in attendance. The couple's eldest son, Prince George, was one of four honour pages carrying the train of his grandfather's robe.
During the service, William knelt before his father to pledge his loyalty to the monarch.
"I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God," William said.
Prince Harry, the King's younger son — who has publicly sparred with the family — walked alone to his seat after entering the abbey. As Charles and other royals joined a military procession afterward, Harry stood waiting outside the abbey until a car arrived to drive him away.
Harry's wife Meghan and their children remained at home in California, where the couple has lived since quitting as working royals in 2020.
Princess
Catherine and Prince William are seen with two of their children,
Charlotte and Louis, as they arrive at Westminster Abbey for the
coronation. (Andrew Milligan/Getty Images)
After the service, Charles switched to the lighter Imperial State Crown for the trip back to Buckingham Palace in the the Gold State Coach. Once at the palace, they appeared alongside younger generations of royals on the balcony to wave at the crowd below and watch a flypast of military aircraft.
Protesters arrested
Earlier, the anti-monarchy group Republic said six of its members, including chief executive Graham Smith, were arrested near Trafalgar Square in central London as they prepared to protest the coronation.
On the south side of the square, thousands swelled behind metal fencing along the procession route. In the middle of the crowd, dozens of anti-monarchy protesters, held tall yellow banners that read "not my king" which they frequently chanted.
Police confront anti-monarchy protesters in central London. (Briar Stewart/CBC)
Some of those in the crowd shouted back, "Yes, he is," or "My king, and I am proud of him."
Thousands decked out in their finest Union Jack attire, along with rain coats and ponchos, easily drowned out the noise from the protest, but they were irritated that demonstrators were taking up prime space and blocking some onlookers with their flags.
"They can protest, but they can't hold their flag," shouted Karen from Devon in southwest England.
'People will stop and stare'
"Even in a world where people are sated with on-demand entertainment, people will stop and stare," said Michael Cole, a former BBC royal correspondent. He called the coronation "a spectacular procession and a ritual" and "a ceremony, unlike anything that occurs anywhere in the world."
But like the best dramas, it was a show with a message.
For 1,000 years and more, British monarchs have been crowned in grandiose ceremonies that confirm their right to rule. Although the King no longer has executive or political power, he remains the U.K.'s head of state and a symbol of national identity.
King
Charles III arrives for his coronation at Westminster Abbey in London
on Saturday. Grandson Prince George can be seen to the left, behind the
King, serving as one of the page boys. (Andrew Matthew/Getty Images)
At a time when double-digit inflation is making everyone in the U.K. poorer, Charles was keen to show that he can still be a unifying force in a multicultural nation that is very different from the one that greeted his mother.
So this was a shorter, less formal affair than the three-hour coronation for Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1953, Westminster Abbey was fitted with temporary stands to boost the seating capacity to more than 8,000. Aristocrats wore crimson robes and coronets, and the coronation procession meandered eight kilometres through central London so an estimated three million people could cheer for the glamorous 25-year-old Queen.
Queen Elizabeth II died last September at age 96, after a seven-decade reign.
Pared-down ceremony
Organizers cut Charles's service to less than two hours and sent out 2,300 invitations. Aristocrats were told to avoid ceremonial dress and the procession travelled a shorter, direct route back to Buckingham Palace from the abbey. This followed Charles's instructions for a pared-down ceremony as he has been seeking to create a smaller, less expensive royal machine for the 21st century.
Charles scrapped the traditional moment at the end of the service when nobles were asked to kneel and pledge their loyalty to the king. Instead, the Archbishop of Canterbury invited everyone in the abbey and people watching on television to swear "true allegiance" to the monarch.
During the Anglican service, Charles, clad in crimson and cream robes, swore on a Bible that he is a "true Protestant." But a preface was added to the coronation oath to say the Church of England "will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely."
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain's first Hindu leader, read a passage from the New Testament of the King James Bible.
A gospel choir performed a newly composed Alleluia, and, for the first time, female clergy took part in the ceremony. It was also the first to include representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh faiths.
Almost 20 per cent of the population in the U.K. now come from ethnic minority groups, compared with less than one per cent in the 1950s. More than 300 languages are spoken in British schools, and less than half of the population describe themselves as Christian.
With files from CBC's Briar Stewart
including the cost every country is spending in sending folks to this show
It means that at times politicians and powerful people will try to take away the constitutional rights of people by sedating and paying them off with plastic chips. They give you some cheap food and easy entertainment, while they take away your civic rights.
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