Ottawa approved request to replace RBC employees with foreign workers 

An overseas outsourcing firm has managed to get Ottawa’s approval to bring in foreign workers to replace 45 Canadian employees at the Royal Bank, the Toronto Star reports. 

On Monday, the federal government confirmed that it granted iGate, a multinational outsourcing firm based in Fremont, Calif. a positive labour market opinion (LMO), which is only to be issued if it does not take positions away from available and qualified Canadians. 

It isn’t clear if temporary foreign workers from India have been working and reporting directly to RBC or iGate, but the affected bank employees said they have been asked to train their replacements. 

The head of RBC told the CBC’s Amanda Lang that the bank is not replacing Canadian workers with temporary foreign workers. 

In B.C., there’s a similar story where two labour unions are fighting against a company that hired more than 200 temporary workers from China for its coal mine in northeatstern B.C., CBC News reports. 

The labour unions head to court today. 

Teen Prostitution ring trial in Ottawa

The Crown revealed in an Ottawa courtroom that a fourth teen girl may also be involved with three teen girls already accused of operating a teen prostitution ring in the capital city, CBC News reports. 

The three girls pleaded not guilty on Monday to a total of 74 charges including:

•Human trafficking

•Procuring for prostitution 

•Forcible confinement

•Robbery

•Sexual Assault

•Uttering threats 

•Printing and publishing child pornography

The fourth girl who faces similar charges will be tried at a later date. 

Last June, police charged the three teens with allegedly using social media to lure seven girls between 13 and 17 years of age to a home where one of the accused reportedly lived. 

Two of the accused, were 15 years old at the time of their arrests. The third accused who is the eldest has been released on bail. 

North Korea urges all foreigners to leave South Korea

North Korea is telling all foreign companies and tourists in South Korea to leave the country, saying that they are on the verge of nuclear war, the Toronto Star reports. 

This is the latest threat from the North to keep the region on edge. 

Analysts say a direct attack on Seoul is unlikely and there are no signs that the North Korean army of 1.2 million soldiers is ready for war. 

South Korea has reported missile movements on North Korea’s east coast but nothing pointed directly to them.

Even though there is little evidence besides the threats that North Korea is actually prepared for military action, the U.S., South Korea and Japan have raised their defences and are taking precautions.