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Canada’s Jobless Rate Rises to 6.8% Despite December Hiring

          A employee sorts batteries on a conveyor belt at a recycling facility in Port Colborne, Ontario. Canada’s unemployment rate climbed to 6.8% in December , even though the economy added 8,200 jobs during the month. The increase in unemployment wasn’t driven by widespread layoffs but by a surge in the number of people entering the labour force and actively looking for work. December Highlights Unemployment rate: Up from 6.5% to 6.8% Employment: Net gain of 8,200 jobs Labour force: Expanded significantly, outpacing job creation Full-time work: Increased Part-time work: Declined Why the Rate Rose Economists point out that the rise in unemployment reflects renewed labour market participation , not a weakening economy. More Canadians felt confident enough to start job hunting, but hiring didn’t keep pace with the influx of job seekers. This marks the fourth straight month of employment growth , yet December also saw the largest increas...

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Tragedy Unfolds: North Korea Executes 30 Teens for Watching South Korean Dramas

In a chilling turn of events, North Korea has reportedly executed around 30 middle school students for the grave offense of watching South Korean dramas. According to reports from South Korean news outlets Chosun TV and Korea JoongAng Daily, these teenagers were publicly shot last week. Their crime? Viewing shows that were stored on USBs, which had been floated over the border by North Korean defectors.

The situation sheds light on North Korea’s harsh penalties for consuming South Korean media. Under the so-called “evil” laws, disseminating media originating from South Korea, the US, or Japan is strictly forbidden. The Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Act, one of these laws, imposes severe consequences for such actions. While the report remains unverified, experts believe that, given the regime’s intensified crackdown on information from the outside world, these executions are plausible.

This isn’t the first instance of North Koreans facing dire consequences for their association with content from their southern neighbor. In the past, individuals have been killed for selling digital content from South Korea or even wearing white wedding dresses, deemed “reactionary.” Despite eyewitness accounts, the North Korean government denies public executions, but the reality remains grim.

The tragic fate of these teenagers serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing tensions between North and South Korea, a conflict that technically persists since the 1950s. As the world watches, we’re left questioning the price of curiosity and the lengths to which oppressive regimes will go to maintain control. 

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