Wheat Prices Surge to Highest Since December 2022 on Black Sea Tensions, El Niño
Wheat prices posted a 19 percent gain in August.
Bessent Champions Economic Growth, Fair Trade at G20 Meeting in Asheville
The United States has removed climate and DEI initiatives from this year’s summit agenda, marking a significant departure from previous summits.
Iceland Focuses on Security Partnerships After Voters Reject Opening EU Membership Talks
The Icelandic government had said before the vote that membership in the European Union could bolster the Arctic island’s security.
Why Young Men Are Giving Up
A generation of young men is searching for meaning and purpose, and it is time we started telling them that society needs them.
Trump’s Likely AI-Generated Kharg Island Video Was a Warning, Vance Says
The messaging followed a U.S. attack on an Iranian military site on Sunday.
What Are the Stakes for Canada After Trump’s US-Venezuela 65 Billion Barrel Oil Deal?
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Aug. 28 that the United States had reached what he called “the biggest oil deal in world history,” giving the United States majority control over the development of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven heavy crude reserves. While oil-rich Venezuela remains significantly behind Canada in oil production after years of infrastructure neglect and political isolation, experts say the country’s potential return to the global oil market could increase pressure on Canada from its neighbour to the south and largest energy export customer. Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez has said the deal will last 25 years, cover 17 oilfields, and target production of more than 1.5 million barrels per day.
Chinese Pressure May Be Behind Pacific Leaders’ No-shows at Key Summit, Experts Say
Some leader absences are ‘clearly linked to Chinese influence or destabilization operations,’ said one expert.
Indonesia Military Exercise Advances US Effort to Link Indo-Pacific Forces
U.S. planners said the aim is to determine whether forces using different systems can rapidly exchange information over long distances with limited bandwidth.
Trump Has Asked Apple to Change Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America,’ US Official Says
U.S. President Donald Trump is asking Apple to change the name Lake Ontario on its maps to “Lake America,” according to a senior administration official. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told the Fox Business network during an Aug. 31 interview that he expects the body of water’s name to soon be changed on all Apple maps. “I know that the president reached out to Apple directly,” Burgum said. “So I’m sure that we may be seeing that change coming up soon to Lake America.” Trump issued an executive order last week to rename the Great Lake amid rising tensions between the two nations following a collapse in trade negotiations....
US Treasury Secretary Says Canada Can’t Go ‘Tit for Tat’ With Economy 13 Times Larger
United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the difference in the size of the Canadian and American economies will make it difficult for Ottawa to respond with reciprocal tariffs. “I don’t think you can be in a tit-for-tat with somebody 13 times larger than you are,” Bessent said in an interview on CNBC on Aug. 31 when asked if the United States was in a trade war with Canada. “I mean, we’re not at war with Canada. How are we going to be at war with Canada? What are they going to take their two submarines from the [West] Edmonton Mall and sic them on us?” Bessent added....
Champagne to Meet US Counterpart Bessent at G20 Ministers’ Meeting
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne will meet with his U.S. counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 finance ministers’ meetings in North Carolina this week. Champagne’s spokesperson John Fragos confirmed in a media statement that the minister will meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over the next two days. It’s believed to be the first face-to-face meeting between high-ranking Canadian and U.S. officials since trade talks between the two nations broke down 10 days ago and gave way to an escalating tariff fight. Bessent also confirmed the meeting with Champagne in an appearance on CNBC today, where he blamed the failed talks on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s approach to politics....
Canada's Last Captive Whales Set to Leave Marineland for US Aquariums
Canada's last captive whales are set to leave the country today as the six belugas from Marineland are headed to two aquariums in the United States. The closed Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction is up for sale and the park has said it is running out of money and can no longer care for its animals.
Á’a:líya Warbus 7th MLA to Quit BC Conservative Caucus in August
Chilliwack-Cultus Lake MLA Á’a:líya Warbus has announced her departure from the B.C. Conservative Party to sit as an Independent, making her the seventh MLA to leave the party in the past three weeks. Warbus said in an Aug. 31 social media post she is “disappointed” to leave the caucus, citing a “critical breakdown in communication” […]
Pentagon to Increase Production of Patriot, THADD Interceptor Missiles
The new agreements with defense contractors will help replace key munitions depleted during the Iran conflict.
Cardinal Marc Ouellet Wins Lawsuit Against Woman Who Accused Him of Sexual Misconduct
Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet has won his civil defamation suit against a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct. Superior Court Justice Martin Castonguay ruled that Paméla Groleau’s accusations against the cardinal are unfounded and ordered her to pay him $100,000. Groleau had accused Ouellet of touching her without consent on three occasions between 2008 and 2010, while she was training or working as a lay pastoral agent for the church. Castonguay noted in his judgment that Groleau changed her story several times, including eventually saying that she only considered one of the alleged interactions to be a sexual assault. The judge noted that the damage to Ouellet was compounded by the fact that Groleau named him in a class-action lawsuit against the Quebec archdiocese that overwhelmingly involves clergy or lay people accused of being pedophiles.
Canadian Suspect in Belgian Espionage Case to Remain in Pretrial Detention
The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office says a Canadian facing espionage charges will remain in custody. After a hearing today of the woman’s appeal of a July decision to keep her in detention, Belgium’s Chamber of Indictments decided to extend her pretrial custody by one month. The prosecutor’s office announced on July 25 that “a Canadian [...]
Italy, Spain Extend Tit-for-Tat Border Curbs After Ceuta Illegal Immigrant Crisis
Italy's minister of the interior said that the decision to suspend open-border arrangements with Spain for another 15 days 'was necessary.'
Japan to Harness AI for Defense Built on Drone Strategy
The Japanese Defense Ministry has unveiled plans to introduce a 'sovereign cloud' to store highly sensitive data transmission.
Vaccine Maker Halts Trial on mRNA Cancer Shot
The vaccine did not perform well in a clinical trial.
Province Launches Review After Maps Replace ‘Lake Ontario’ With ‘Lake America’
The Ontario government launched an online review over the weekend after some provincial and federal websites began displaying “Lake America” in place of “Lake Ontario.” Maps on Hydro One, Metrolinx, Infrastructure Ontario, and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) websites all showed “Lake America” after Google modified the name of the lake on digital maps in the United States.
